


Caught in the Drift

by r2mich2



Category: Pacific Rim (2013), Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Amputation, Anime Spoilers, Best Spuds, Blood, Doesn't Follow Pacific Rim movie plotline, F/F, F/M, Gore, Lots of mentionings of dead people, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Mostly JeanMarco centric, Noncanon Nationalities, Rating will change, Ridiculous Jaeger Names, Slow To Update, Spoilers, Titans instead of Kaiju
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-16
Updated: 2014-10-04
Packaged: 2018-01-01 18:24:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1047127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/r2mich2/pseuds/r2mich2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Humanity had been living their lives normally until the fateful day when the earth split in places all around the world. Cracks to another dimension, completely unknown to the humans, give way to the monsters that begin emerging from the breaches. The creatures, code named 'Titans', have no other interest but to eat and consume human beings. With their regenerative abilities and a severe lack of weaknesses, humanity creates their own titans, robotic giants piloted by two humans intertwined in a neural link. These robotic giants are jaegers, and with their use, the titan menace can hopefully be stopped.</p><p>The only problem is, finding compatible jaeger pilots is harder than it looks and with the constant loss of pilots in battle, the number of humans able to fight in jaegers are dwindling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One Step too Short

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yorksxmissingxeye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yorksxmissingxeye/gifts).



> Okay, before I even say anything about the actual story, I'd like to thank and credit yorks-missing-eye on tumblr. She and I have been working in accordance for the past few weeks to create this little Pacific Rim AU and it's sorta become our baby and I'm very happy to be writing it for/with her. SO SHOUT OUT TO HARLEE.
> 
> AAAND now back to le description by le author. This fic is mostly Jean/Marco centric though when I say that I don't mean it by a lot. There's a lot of character's I'm going to be delving into the best I can and there's about 500 different pairings. The two pairings that will probably get stressed the most, are Eruri and JeanMarco. 
> 
> As for Nationalities on characters. Since Isayama hasn't given nationalities and technically nationalities don't really exist aside from origin in normal AOT universe, I've just sorta picked some that might work or just some at random. Don't take them as canon and I apologize if they don't match up to your thoughts. I'm just using nationalities for the sake of diversity and not everyone could be German. 
> 
> Otherwise, any and all mistakes (spelling/word mix ups/etc) please point out to me and feedback is like music to my ears so plz give feedback.

_Icelandic Breach, 10 Miles from the breach AKA the Miracle Mile_

_“You think we’ll run into any titans?”_ Eren’s excited voice echoed through the communications systems of the Winged Freedom’s con-pod. Levi and Erwin both shot each other a look from their different sides of the helm. It was clear to them they didn’t like Eren’s ignorance towards their job.

 

Danger was almost always imminent and the new kids with their new jaegers always forget that fact. It often killed a few and while Armin and Eren _were_ new and usually Erwin and Levi would play it off to be fate, they wouldn’t allow something to happen to those two boys. The two elder jaeger pilots had known the two younger ones since the start of the titan phenomena. Eren Jaeger and Armin Arlert were closer than other young pilots. They were almost a part of their whack-job family of sorts.

 

“ _Shut up Jaeger. Simulations are shit compared to the real thing.”_ Levi quipped back naturally. He and Erwin had been overlooking the teen’s training since he’d enlisted into the program. Eren Jaeger was a personal case, his mother having been eaten by a titan right before his eyes. He was also the kid whose animated behavior towards killing titans spawned the naming of the robotic technology they used to fight such monsters.

 

Armin could be heard making a comment to Eren over the feed, most likely something about Levi being right. Either way it was muffled.

 

There was a small static that came over the communication feed and Erwin and Levi both turned their heads and the jaeger’s head towards the direction of Giant Slayer, (god forbid Eren actually name his jaeger something sophisticated).  There was nothing in their direction that seemed like it could cause interference, so they continued on as normal while the communication was temporarily shut out.

 

They were unaware of the utter static that the Shatterdome was receiving at that moment, cutting off even their connection to those who could warn them of any new emerging threats.

 

Continuing on their planned route, Levi and Erwin moved their jaeger in the direction of the perimeter of the breach. Larger and larger titans had been coming out of the breaches all around the world, most of which focused where volcanoes were and the fault lines were weaker.

 

From what they heard recently, the base in Italy was nearly overrun when a large hoard of titans had come out of the breach at Vesuvius. Two jaegers were lost or heavily damaged from what was in the news.

 

In a far off part of Levi’s mind, one that Erwin often didn’t look into, he wondered if it would happen in their current placement. Iceland was one of the more isolated breach areas and since titans weren’t as adept at swimming, they typically didn’t have many jaegers in the area.

 

Levi and Erwin had often discussed whether or not they’d get transferred to somewhere on the Pacific Rim where the ring of fire led way to more breaches. America had been pulverized in the first few waves of titans because for a long while no one knew how to take them down.

 

Nowadays, most jaegers were stationed in the Americas and Levi and Erwin were waiting their turn.

 

Having been deep in thought, Levi didn’t notice the static building up on the communications as it became louder and less bearable. “It sounds like someone is sending out communication.” Erwin muttered under his breath out of instinct.

 

Levi focused on hearing it, straining his ears as he did hear the underlying voice. Slowly, he could tell there was yelling and much panic.

 

Soon it became evident that the static was coming from the Shatterdome as the voices didn’t resemble those of Eren or Armin in tone and the two teens were the only ones who actively had contact with Winged Freedom.

 

“ _Large…heading…yo…tion…._ ” The voice kept cutting off into static. Levi cursed out loud, something about the atmosphere seeming wrong. Usually when danger was closing in, you got that tingling feeling on the back of your neck that made your spine shake with unease. Levi was getting that feeling.  

 

“Levi.” Erwin’s voice echoed through the con-pod. The blonde was giving him a look that was an effort to calm him down.

 

Levi scowled and they both turned towards the Giant Slayer’s direction. Just as the other jaeger came into view, something hit them from behind, jolting the systems and the jaeger.

 

At the time, the voices of Eren and Armin returned over the communications systems. Eren was screaming about something and Armin was attempting to calm him down. Three titans had latched onto their jaeger, pulling and biting at the metal to get to the meaty humans inside it.

 

“ _Eren! You have to stay calm!”_ Armin’s shrill tone called just as another titan crashed into the side of the Winged Freedom. “ _Eren_!”

 

Erwin went to speak through the closed end of their communications systems but Levi stopped him with a mental prod. “That might just be what saves them.” Levi stated plainly before they both focused on the titans pulling and grabbing for purchase on the back and sides of their jaeger. Alarms were blaring through the systems of the con-pod and the pain from the drive suits where technology went missing was growing as more and more parts of the jaeger were pulled off.

 

Managing to pull the titan from their side around, they tore off the head of the titan, also taking out the delicate weakness at the nape of their neck. Levi and Erwin paused to focus on the titan behind them when they heard what damage was being wrought on the other jaeger.

 

The hitch in the Winged Freedom’s movements cost them more damage than they could deal with. A large titan hand, bigger than any other they’d seen, wrapped around the front of the con-pod. Its fingers dug into the metal of the Winged Freedom’s face, closing in around the right side where Erwin was situated.

 

“Erwin!” Levi yelled, borderline horrified by what was happening though not breaking from his typically emotionless face. About to detach himself from the jaeger and reach for his partner, he screamed in agony as several smaller titans latched onto and tore into the left leg of their jaeger at the ankle.

 

With as much strength as he could muster, Levi ignored the pain and braced his leg to continue standing. He needed to keep focused on the situation at hand.

 

Levi was confused by the lack of panic flooding from Erwin’s side of the drift. While the man was never one to break down in a situation that was frightening or seemingly impossible, he’d think that having a titan about to kill you would break that. Levi had witnessed it in other pilots firsthand.

 

The titan who had its grip on the con-pod finally pulled and everything happened so fast neither of them knew what was going on until Erwin was hanging loosely in his connections to the jaeger and his right arm was barely intact, spewing blood at an unnatural rate where the metal had caught and pulled.

 

“Erwin!” Levi shouted, feeling the pain his partner felt through the rapidly fading neural handshake. Erwin was passing out quickly, losing consciousness to the damage done to his arm. The cold Icelandic air blew in through the damage done to the side of the jaeger and Levi could see through his own eyes the Giant Slayer taking out what seemed to be several titans.

 

He couldn’t focus on it, his eyes going blurry from both his and Erwin’s pain. To focus, he shut out the connection to his partner as much as he could and focused on killing the titan behind them.

 

He came face to face with a titan that had female features, and it almost looked more human than the other titans they fought on a daily basis. The hand that was holding the missing piece to the con-pod was shining blue, almost crystalized.

 

As the titan went reaching for them again, Levi felt a sudden jolt and looked to his right. Erwin, while still covered in blood and looking dead enough already, was back into position with Levi and no longer hanging loosely in the connections to his drive suit.

 

“Don’t write me off like that, Levi.” Erwin warned, giving an authoritative tone that forced Levi to frown. “Go shit yourself, Erwin.” Levi replied back bitterly and they raised the left arm of the Winged Freedom to punch the female titan square in the face.

 

But they soon found that they couldn’t because mid-banter the thing had taken off running in the direction of the breach. It was gone from their sight within minutes.

 

They didn’t have time to question it, turning towards the Giant Slayer as it had two titans latched onto it and pulling at its armor. There was evidence of several more evaporating after death.

 

Forcing Erwin to move was a bad idea but without the help of the elder pilots, Eren and Armin wouldn’t last very long. There was evident damage to their jaeger and it would cause them problems if they continued fighting.

 

They moved towards the two titans and the two younger pilots, grabbing a titan off the side of the Giant Slayer and then slicing through its neck with the sword component built into the left arm. Meanwhile, Eren and Armin took care of the last titan.

 

“ _I killed my first titan!”_ Eren’s excited voice echoed through the communications link even though he’d killed several by the looks of it. At the same time Armin’s concerned voice rang through. “ _Captain, Commander, are you…”_

Erwin didn’t get to hear the last of what Armin said before he passed out and the alarms blared, telling Levi that their neural handshake had broken. Ignoring that fact, Levi disconnected from the con-pod and limped over towards the other unconscious pilot. The adrenaline that had helped him ignore the damage to his leg was gone.

 

Forcefully, Levi pulled Erwin down to the floor of the con-pod. “Erwin.” He said relatively calmly though his mind was racing. He quickly grabbed one of the loose, durable wires from the jaeger that had been exposed from the damage and tore it loose to use as a tourniquet for Erwin’s arm. From what it looked like, the damage was much worse than previously imagined. There was a large likelihood of amputation.

 

Somewhere in the back of his mind and focus, Armin’s voice ordered a chopper lift from the area so they could get the pilots back to the Shatterdome and Erwin back to a hospital.

 

All the while, Levi could feel the ominous realization of never piloting a jaeger again with Erwin Smith and his own future didn’t look too bright either. The pain in his ankle was burn damage from the drive suit reacting to titans on the armor. It was often that this happened to pilots and depending on where the damage was, it could be permanent.

 

Facing the cold truth that came down his spine like freezing water and ice, Levi held the back of his head and tore off the helmet he was wearing. He could barely focus on the sound of the choppers and the movement of the other jaeger as a painful headache came over him.

 

Humanity’s best had just been eliminated from the ring.

 

-o-o-o-

 

_Three Years Later, Alaskan State Breach Shatterdome_

“Shut your mouth Jaeger, or I’ll shut it for you.” Jean Kirschstein warned in an angry tone as he held up his fist to show that he would in fact punch Eren Jaeger in the throat if he saw it fit. The two of them were exiting the Shatterdome, passing many technicians and mechanics as they went.

 

The shorter male laughed. “You’re jealous because you can’t drift with Mikasa!” Eren stated as he jabbed a finger into Jean’s chest to prove it. Jean growled in response, about ready to pummel the kid senseless if he didn’t stop antagonizing him. It had happened many times before and Jean was very willing to do it again.

 

Luckily, the presence of Armin Arlert stopped Eren from going any further. “Hey, that was a really great run you guys.” He smiled nervously, seeing the frustration on Jean’s face. “I wish we were more compatible, that way we could all pilot that jaeger together.” He continued in a very sportsmanlike manner.

 

Jean had to wonder how Armin put up with Eren, especially when the two went on missions together. Heck he even wondered about the rumors that often passed around the base about Eren and Armin’s ‘friendship’ which may or may not be bordering something else. There was no proof yet, however, and it was unlike Armin to admit anything. Besides, Eren was too busy yelling about titans all day for any romance.

 

“Yeah, Armin. Hopefully one of us can get put on the team. It’s the first three pilot jaeger yet.” Jean responded kindly, never having had anything against Armin. It was just his disgusting partner. Maybe he was a little bit jealous towards Eren, but that was mostly because the dick had the entire jaeger program named after him.

 

Armin hummed in thought for a moment before shaking his head. He was probably thinking about the possible combinations they could put together for optimal drift compatibility. “Eren and I won’t be on the team. Eren can’t drift with anyone aside from you, me, and Mikasa and none of the combinations we’d make up would work.” He stated as a matter of fact.

 

Jean exhaled heavily. “Our run wasn’t too bad.” He made the mistake of saying before Eren quickly interrupted. “I’m not piloting a jaeger with you, horse face.” Eren quipped.

 

“You two used to drift perfectly. What happened?” Armin asked, frowning at the two’s utter distaste for each other. Eren seemed to cringe at a memory and Jean shook his head as if Armin wouldn’t understand.

 

Without another word to the two pilots, Jean made his way towards his room in the barracks, unhappy with the day’s results. So far, his search for a drift partner was looking dismal. While he could drift with both Armin and Eren, the results were choppy and would lead to a dysfunctional jaeger in the middle of battle. There were enough incidents were pilots were lost from such things like that.

 

There weren’t enough cadets in the Alaskan Shatterdome that could handle Jean’s personality either. That fact made Jean hate himself all the more. He’d had a partner before when he’d been initially paired up in France, but after they’d been employed to the Vesuvius breach and titans were spilling through like mad, an incident involving a stray titan prevented any further missions.

 

Jean only had a few months of piloting under his belt and his jaeger was put on the stockpile as the number of possible partners dwindled.  After six months of hunting for a partner and finding no results, he resigned to the perimeter team and fought in the military robot exoskeletons that took out the smaller Category A and B titans the jaegers often missed.

 

After doing that for around a year, Jean received a letter from the Alaskan Shatterdome addressed to him that they had more cadets there and that they had room for his jaeger. Jean had been extremely excited when that happened but after another six months of sitting around with his jaeger and no one to pilot it with, he doubted that coming had been a good idea.

 

He had found drift partners though, they were just not the perfect drift partner. Probably the only good thing about coming was being able to go on two runs with Eren Jaeger, back when they were semi-friendly, and being able to drift with Lance Corporal Levi.

 

The Alaskan Shatterdome was different than others because it was run by both Commander Erwin Smith and Corporal Levi. Not only that, but because of the particular amount of titans that came through the breaches in Alaska, it was the optimal place for head scientist Hanji Zoe to spend most of her time. She had been the inventor of the drift technology and led research on the titans.

 

Rumor has it, she used to be a pilot herself but she was literally too insane to drift with anyone and after one awry mission, she had been put back on her science and technology duties.

 

Jean tended to avoid her as much as possible, thus the reason why he’d take a shortcut to get to the barracks rather than pass by the science and research department. Yet, this particular week, she was out of town and visiting the breach in Japan and he had no such need.

 

That didn’t mean Jean wouldn’t run into any people he didn’t want to because as he turned a corner, he was met with the super short, and nine times out of ten, super angry Corporal.

 

“Corporal!” Jean yelped nervously. He’d gotten into trouble many times with the shorter male. Not only was Levi the head cadet trainer when it came down to drift technology, but he was like the Alaskan Shatterdome’s resident mom and not in the caring sense. The Alaskan Shatterdome was the cleanest, most organized Shatterdome in existence because of Corporal Levi.

 

Levi glared up at Jean with his typical look that said he was disgusted with you. If it wasn’t that, it was pure apathy. Never once had Jean seen him change expressions. “New cadets are arriving tomorrow. I suggest you report to the training area early.” Levi stated in his typical monotone with a hint of dislike that he gave everyone that he spoke to.

 

Jean nodded his head, swallowing on reflex. Levi gave him one last look before walking past him and making his way towards wherever he was going.

 

Once the male had passed, Jean relaxed his shoulders and kept walking. Ahead of him he could see the entrance to the mess hall, bustling with mechanics and the few occasional cadets or pilots. For the most part cadets didn’t stay long in any particular base because of the constant search for drift compatible partners.

 

Jean frowned, contemplating going into the mess hall for food but they were limited on that as it was. He barely made it three yards from the entrance before Connie Springer called out behind him. “Jean!” The overly excited baldy yelled as he waved his arms.

 

Slowly and reluctantly, Jean turned around. If you wanted to avoid getting pranked you wanted to avoid Connie Springer and for the most part, his partner Sasha Braus. Sasha was pretty tame on her own, just give her food and she’ll be satisfied but Connie had a tendency to prank people left and right. How the two Scottish pilots hadn’t been kicked out of the Alaskan Shatterdome was a mystery.

 

They piloted the Highland Avenger together and had a good record but the two of them were almost always being delinquents when around the Shatterdome. Jean was glad that he didn’t even have to try drifting with the two of them. Yet, at the same time, the two of them did get very serious when it came down to actually fighting titans and that was a blessing in the least.

 

“What do you want, Connie?” Jean groaned, not ready for being dragged into another elaborate plan to get more food than they were allowed. Jean hated those plans.

 

Connie quickly ran over, an excited look on his face. “I heard about the new cadets!” He prompted and Jean raised an eyebrow in confusion. “And? Why the hell are you excited about this?” Jean said back in a judging tone.

 

“Because if you get a partner then I can finally beat your ass while sparring!” Connie responded excitedly. From time to time the energetic pilot would talk about beating up Jean because Connie’s jaeger had to be so much better than Jean’s _Frenchie_ jaeger.

 

Jean crossed his arms. “I could beat you up right now if you’d like.” Jean replied the same as he always did and on a few occasions they had physically sparred before. Connie had won once while Jean had a record of three wins to one loss.

 

Connie frowned, turning his head back towards Sasha who was still standing in the doorway to the mess hall. “Maybe tomorrow.” He said sheepishly. “I’ve got graveyard tonight.” He admitted as an afterthought though Jean didn’t think he was lying. No one lied about graveyard.

 

“Good luck with that.” Jean smirked anyway, not going to extend the sympathies too far. Connie stuck his tongue out at Jean, cursing under his breath before returning to his partner’s side. It was probably a good idea for the two of them to go take a nap or something before they went titan hunting later.

 

Jean rolled his eyes at Connie and walked the rest of the way back to his room without interruption. Once he reached the door, he unlocked it and pulled it open, sliding inside before walking the three steps it would take him to drop on the closest corner of his bed. The rooms were small, outfitted for at most two people. Jean didn’t have a fellow pilot to share it with yet so he had been alone from the start.

 

Frustrated, Jean rolled over so he could pull off his boots and curl up. He was basically useless and it bothered the heck out of him. Sometimes he’d help school the cadets with Levi since the male couldn’t always spar with everyone and not every morning were Eldo and Gunter available to help out. The damage done to Levi’s ankle three years before had damaged his Achilles and while it had healed quite beautifully for the most part, physical movement was made difficult.

 

The corporal had a habit of fighting only standing on one leg now and occasionally you could see him rubbing his right arm like there was some sort of existing ghost pain. Jean didn’t like thinking of the damage done to previous pilots. It made him wonder what he was doing trying to become one again.

 

Reluctant to do much of anything else, Jean rolled over and fell asleep after an hour of thinking about how another chance at piloting had just walked by him. Chances like fighting in a jaeger that required three pilots because of its sheer size were practically impossible and the miracle that dumped this chance on him didn’t have enough extra magic to make him properly drift compatible.

 

Jean just hoped that sometime, before humanity either sorted out the titan issue or died trying, he’d get a drift compatible partner.


	2. Frustratingly Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new recruits arrive at the Alaskan Shatterdome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect to update this so quickly but here I am so :3 I guess I just really wanted to write infuriatingly nice Marco. Idk :D
> 
> Either way have some jaegers and jaeger pilots and some Jean x Rejection. 
> 
> Any and all errors (spelling, grammar, etc) please point out in a comment and all feedback is very very welcome.

Almost every morning, Eren Jaeger ran through the hallway of the barracks giving his own mutated sort of wake-up call whether the kid had the graveyard shift or not. That wake-up call consisted of yelling about his titan killing record at the top of his lungs or giving some speech about how they were going to kill all the titans today.

 

Needless to say, Jean never set an alarm because of it. He was always awake by six in the morning because of the psychotic idiot.

 

That morning, Eren had chosen to brag about his titan killing record. Luckily, the response to Eren’s shouting was quick because as Jean could hear through the walls of the base, Connie had stepped out of his room and thrown something at Eren to make him stop. Connie proceeded to make the remark, “Shut up, Eren. Sleep is a gift and people shouldn’t mess with other people’s presents” before going back to his and Sasha’s shared room.

 

Needless to say, when Jean left his room lazily dressed and looking like a mess ten minutes later, he found a boot sitting in the middle of the hallway where Connie had undoubtedly chucked it at Jaeger’s head.

 

Slowly rubbing the sleep from his eyes and running a hand through his messy hair, he started making his way down the halls so he could make it to the mess hall at roughly the correct time. All the good food would be gone if he didn’t get there quick enough.

 

Strolling into the mess hall six twenty, Jean made his way over to get a tray of food as quickly as possible. A few mechanics and rangers gave him dirty looks or looks of questioning. Most people wondered what he even did around the Alaskan Shatterdome all day aside from sleeping and picking fights with pilots.

 

He sneered at a few of the mechanics he remembered from past experiences. Jean was very protective of his jaeger and anything done to it had to go through him first. That was, of course, unless the mechanics had direct permission from Hanji or another higher up.

 

After piling some hash browns, a few sausages, and a breakfast sandwich onto his plate, Jean made his way over to the pilots’ tables. Typically, the pilots would sit separately from everyone else. It wasn’t that they weren’t friendly either. It was because of the weird effects of drifting that made you want to stay near your partner and no one else. The only people who understood that were pilots.

 

Jean noticed that Eren and Armin were the only ones around aside from a few stray cadets that had stayed while the others left for different Shatterdomes and different futures. Jean remembered attempting a drift with one of them, and testing compatibility with all of them. He didn’t find them good company though.

 

Preferring to sit next to Armin, even with the knowledge that he’d be near Eren, he dropped down at the table with the three other pilots.

 

Nearby, one of the overhead televisions played the news and they could hear about some stray titan getting past defenses and eating some poor group of people. It was an often occurrence and you couldn’t really avoid seeing it on the news. Jean remembered when it was his partner’s picture on the obituary.

 

“Anything new happen?” Jean prompted. The other three were quiet, Eren’s eyes trained on the television.

 

Armin sighed deeply and nodded. “Saturn went down last night in Japan with its pilots. We also lost Chaser last night on patrols. The damage will put it in the shop for at least three months before they can use it again and…” He explained before trailing off.

 

Jean exhaled deeply. He couldn’t believe they’d lost one of their jaegers and both pilots to go with it. Desperate to change gears, he looked up. “Who are they being replaced with?” Jean asked, frustrated with the outcome. Erwin and Levi hadn’t lost a jaeger in five months.

 

Armin shrugged in response. It was too early to tell. Erwin probably had to do is magic and work to get the next best team he could. Even if they found their three person jaeger team, they’d still need another team to fill the spot left by Cosmic Chaser.

 

As he ate, Jean wished he could fill the spot but he still didn’t have a partner and would likely be without one for a long time.

 

Luckily, before Jean could descend into another bout of self-hatred, Mikasa Ackerman dropped down in the seat across from Eren and by virtue, the seat next to Jean.

 

“Mikasa!” Jean exclaimed excitedly, grinning before she had even set her tray down. The girl was also another pilot without a real team. Yet, she could still drift with Eren and when Hanji was around, Armin preferred spending some time in the research division anyhow. It worked out for her more often than it did Jean.

 

The female pilot didn’t respond to Jean’s attention. “Eren, did you eat any fruit?” She asked, ignoring Jean altogether. Eren turned to look at her for a moment before nodding and returning his attention to the news.

 

Jean frowned for a moment but didn’t give up. “I must say Mikasa, you’re looking fine today.” He said as smoothly as possible, causing him to sound like a total cheese ball.

 

Mikasa finally turned to look at him, a glower on her face. Jean didn’t falter. “You’re hair looks wonderful. Did you do something with it? A hair cut?” Jean continued casually.

 

“No. You’re two-tone hair just makes it look better by comparison.” Mikasa replied blatantly. Armin had to put a hand over his mouth not to laugh and Eren was still too busy hearing things about titans to respond, let alone hear it.

 

Jean opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it, a small embarrassed redness appearing in his cheeks as he turned the other direction. Mikasa, now satisfied that she’d gotten Jean to stop talking to her, went back to pestering Eren about his life choices and health.

 

Feeling his self-esteem plummet to the floor, Jean looked to the clock to check the time. Hopefully the three of them would just leave. Then he remembered something as he took note of the time being almost six forty.

 

“What time did they say the new rangers would get here…?” Jean muttered as he turned back to the group. He was starting to think he wasn’t on schedule.

 

Armin checked his watch. “They’ll be here in about five minutes.” He stated in accordance to the time.

 

“Shit!” Jean cursed, scrambling so he wouldn’t be late.

 

-o-

 

The choppers that carried the fifteen new cadet rangers were ahead of schedule by four minutes. Standing outside waiting for them were Lance Corporal Levi and Commanding Marshal Erwin Smith. Both males, focused on the new recruits, hoped that maybe there might be a better outcome this go around.

 

“Keep positive, Levi.” Erwin said, already knowing what the other was thinking from several years of being partners.

 

The shorter male rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Coming from the man with one arm.” Levi commented dryly. Levi hadn’t been impressed with their last batch of cadets, though he was rarely impressed by anyone.

 

However, as three Russians stepped out of the closest chopper, Levi found himself regretting that thought if only a slightly. The shortest, a bond female with a disinterested look that seemed to be burned into her face for all eternity, looked like she might be the next Mikasa Ackerman. It wasn’t often you got someone with that much talent.

 

The two others were males, one taller than the other but slighter and with dark brown hair. The shorter, more built one was a blond with enough muscle to knock down a wall by himself if he desired such a thing.

 

The three Russians seemed to be glued together in a way that caused both Erwin and Levi to look at each other. If anything, that gave them a sign. The three of them could very well be drift compatible and hopefully any drift they could uphold was a strong one.

 

Following behind them were several other less impressive cadets and soon all fifteen were lined up in a row with their bags in their hands and ready to be showed around the Alaskan Shatterdome.

 

Erwin stepped forward, the long trench coat he was wearing billowing slightly in the wind and further accentuating the lack of a right arm. Most cadets were intimidated by Erwin’s battle worn appearance but there were select few that didn’t seem to react at all, three of which being the Russians and the other being a freckled male.

 

“The fifteen of you are the new replacement rangers who will be serving here in Alaska until the next rotation of rangers come in three weeks from now. Each of you will be tried for drift compatibility and tested with some of our current pilots. In addition, any three of you that can successfully and properly drift at the same time, will be given the chance to pilot the newest jaeger in production.” Erwin paused, looking at the facial expressions of each of the new recruits.

 

Several of the rangers were excited, others remaining emotionless or in a default sort of state. “After the three week period had ended, you will be given the opportunity to stay here to fight on the perimeter lines if a jaeger piloting position has not been opened up for you. The choice whether to stay or go is yours. From here, you will be given a tour of the base and then taken for your preliminary exams led by Corporal Levi.” Erwin explained in a calm yet defining tone.

 

A few faces turned to look at the shorter black haired male the moment he was mentioned. It was evident they knew who he was. It wasn’t often someone came through that didn’t know who Levi or Erwin were.

 

In that moment, Erwin gave them all a kind farewell and turned to go back to his warm, heated office that was no doubt filled with more paperwork. He did stop momentarily to pat Levi on the shoulder with his one arm reassuringly. Levi made a small grunt-like noise in response, staring down the cadets.

 

“Alright, all new recruits follow me.” Levi ordered after a moment, moving towards the ground floor entrance to the Shatterdome. The group of cadets all followed obediently, some hurrying to make sure they didn’t get into trouble with the corporal.

 

They soon entered on the ground floor of the base, walking straight into the area where the jaegers were stored and ‘operated’ on as Hanji Zoe liked to nickname it.

 

At the same time as they entered the jaeger storage bay, two males joined up with the group. One had black hair, spiked upwards even if he had minor helmet hair from what looked to be the helmets issued out for the rangers that piloted the smaller exoskeletons. The other male, a sandy blond with minor facial hair, looked relatively the same.

 

“Greetings new recruits! I’m Eldo Gin, that’s Gunter Shulz. We’ll be working with you part time in your testing.” The blond greeted them excitedly as they all began to follow behind Levi, Gunter and Eldo walking backwards.

 

Gunter smiled in a welcoming manner. “This here jaeger,” He paused to point up to the large jaeger to their right. “Is our good old baby Giant Slayer. She’s a mark II, piloted by Armin Arlert and Eren Jaeger. If you’re lucky you’ll get to see them in action later.” He described, gesturing towards the tall, more humanoid jaeger that was a deep chrome color. It was by far one of the most menacing jaegers in the field.

 

Eldo grinned. “And to your left, is the Highland Avenger. She’s a mark III, piloted by Sasha Braus and Connie Springer. Highlander just went out last night for a patrol and took down six titans of the middle classes and one of a higher class.” He continued their tour. Several of the recruits were beaming at the news, all whispering about their favorite jaegers from the news.

 

Eventually after walking a few more yards into the area were a few lesser known jaegers were being stood, one ranger raised their hand. “You have a question?” Gunter prompted, calling on the girl named Mina Carolina.

 

“Yes. Is it true about the rumors of Winged Freedom being kept somewhere under lockdown rather than in a jaeger graveyard?” She asked bravely, causing Levi to turn around at the head of the group where he’d been limping along.

 

Before Gunter or Eldo could respond, the Corporal answered her question for her. “No. The Winged Freedom was melted down for scrap metal parts after its defeat in Iceland.” He stated coldly, obviously it was a little personal.

 

The cadet who’d asked the question, Mina, nodded her head nervously and regretfully before returning her attention to staring at the several jaegers.

 

Gunter and Eldo continued on as if everything was normal. “Lastly, not including the three person jaeger we have in stock in the back warehouse, we have the Cavalier Blanc, or translated from French, the White Knight.” Eldo said as they all stopped for a moment.

 

Strung up and slightly dusted from lack of use was one of the more attractive jaegers in existence. The Cavalier Blanc was a mark III jaeger designed for showmanship and beauty. Almost the entire thing was a white platinum color and it was probably the most pleasing to the eye of all the jaegers since Winged Freedom rolled off the production line.

 

“Cavalier has been out of use for the past two years because its pilot has been unable to find a suitable drift partner. Hopefully one of you spry kids can drift with the poor old sod though. Good luck.” Gunter and Eldo laughed together after Eldo had continued to explain the state of the jaeger and its use.

 

At the same time, one of the cadets stepped to the outside of the group where he was closest to Cavalier Blanc. The jaeger was barely being touched at all by mechanics other than for daily routine things like keeping joints from getting rusty and checking suspension on some of the cables.

 

The other cadets, following Gunter and Eldo began filing off to go travel to the next place. It was likely the control room of the Shatterdome. But at the same time, the one male ranger lingered for a few moments.

 

Levi, noticing it, stayed behind for a moment to grab the male’s attention. Vaguely remembering the name of the kid from his profile in the folders on Erwin’s desk, Levi stepped closer. “Marco, right?” He assumed and the ranger nodded his head.

 

“You had mechanical experience.” Levi remembered, watching the young adult staring up at the jaeger longingly like a jaeger obsessed child if they were ever to meet their favorite jaeger and pilots in person. Marco seemed a little more mature than that, though. If Levi remembered correctly, this new ranger was a year or two older than their current batch of young pilots. It was probably from entering the mechanical field before entering the jaeger pilot program.

 

The freckled ranger nodded his head again. “I’ve been a jaeger mechanic for the past few years in Panama.” He clarified before gesturing towards Cavalier Blanc. “I had been wondering where they were keeping this one since it was temporarily retired.” Marco mused, picking up the nearest data tablet with the Cavalier Blanc’s info on it.

 

Levi looked at the taller, freckled male and noticed he was one of the few who hadn’t been bothered by Erwin’s current state. “Lucky you. That one’s half empty.” Levi stated before turning to go and follow the rest of the group.

 

Before he could make it a yard from the Cavalier Blanc, a very disheveled looking pilot came running their way.

 

“Kirschstein.” Levi acknowledged sourly as the solo pilot barreled on over with the least amount of grace possible. “I wanted you in the training room ten minutes ago. The cadets get there shortly.” Levi reprimanded as the taller came to a stop in front of them, resting his hands on his knees as he sucked in breaths of air.

 

After a moment of recuperating he lifted his head. “To be fair, Corporal, you never specified any time yesterday.” Jean retorted through heavy breaths, focusing on the shorter of the two black haired males.

 

Levi, clearly pissed off, smacked Jean in the side of the head and began walking after the group again. Upset by the blow but not injured, Jean rubbed a hand over the developing bruise and turned to look at the other male that had been with Levi.

 

Before Marco could really say anything, Jean noticed the data tablet in Marco’s hands and frowned. “What the hell are you doing with my jaeger?” Jean asked in a more accusing tone than what was probably intended, or at least Marco liked to think that.

 

Marco frowned a little. “Those systems haven’t been checked in a long time. The last time they were recorded as used was two years ago.” He stated in his defense, trying to keep the disheveled and angry looking pilot from getting violent or anything of that sort.

 

“So?” Jean grumbled, calming slightly. He was still scowling and upset. “What business is it to you? You’re not a mechanic.” He seemed to think he was being smart but Marco smiled nervously, setting down the data tablet.

 

As carefully as he could, Marco stated otherwise. “Actually, I am. But that’s not the point and either way I apologize for overstepping my boundaries. I’m Marco Bodt.” He explained before greeting Jean, sticking out his hand for a handshake.

 

Jean stared at him for a moment before shaking his head and sticking his hands in the pocket of his jacket. It was his customized leather jacket with the Cavalier Blanc’s name on it, a pilot’s jacket. Every pilot tended to have one or something similar.

 

Marco seemed dismayed by the reluctance to shake his hand but he handled it well. “It seems like you didn’t get much sleep?” He prompted awkwardly, gesturing towards Jean’s messy looking hair and equally messy appearance.

 

Jean blinked in surprise before running a hand over his hair again to try and calm it somewhat. He blushed red slightly but not a lot, mostly out of embarrassment. “I…sort of.” Jean lied.

 

Marco smiled in response. “Well, I should get back to the other rangers. I hope you can find yourself a fellow pilot.” He said anxiously, starting to walk towards where the others were and where Levi had gone off to.

 

Jean grumbled something unintelligible in response, mostly just staring up at his jaeger trying to calm himself down. Marco smiled slightly at the behavior, walking ahead a few steps before pausing. “I like your hair, by the way.” He stated honestly.

 

Still feeling the lingering pain from that morning when Mikasa had dissed his half bleached hair, Jean whipped around to make sure it wasn’t some sort of crack at his appearance but all he found was a genuine face full of freckles and a reassuring look that said the male meant it.

 

Then Marco turned and left, leaving Jean both utterly pissed and more than slightly infatuated. The pilot had been trying to ignore the utter kindness in Marco’s actions but watching the mechanic-ranger walk off he couldn’t find a real reason to be pissed off at the guy. That didn’t mean Jean wasn’t a stubborn mule though, he’d act like he hated the guy until the ends of the Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty guys plz comment with your thoughts I love the interaction. Plus, next chapter we get to see all the new rangers sparring with those sticky thingies...(anyone know what thats called) idk i might find a different way for them to spar.


	3. Surprise, Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco and Jean show remarkable results when fighting each other and news of a new jaeger arriving to replace Cosmic Chaser causes some tension.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okeydokey guys I am proud to announce the THIRD CHAPITRE. WHOO! Anyhoo, we get to see some more substantial Erwin/Levi reactions and I'll say it now. As for intimate moments between those two, they're rather far and few. They're working a lot they got shit to do. But either way this is just the first step into that area. >D and on a side note writing levi is hard as hell.
> 
> OTHERWISE, JEAN AND MARCO. HAHA. AHAHHAHA. Also Christa is the nurse and we will be seeing Hanji here shortly.
> 
> Thanks so much for the feedback guys! I'm really glad to hear you like this fic and I hope to keep this going until the end. :)

Typically, the cadets that came through the Alaskan Shatterdome were often surprised at the unorthodox ways that the staff tested for compatibility. Instead of staff fighting like many of the Shatterdomes had adopted from the Asians, the Alaskan Shatterdome threw caution to the wind and introduced different forms of boxing or wrestling. They believed that a cadet should be able to fight in the way that worked best with their abilities.

 

Jean Kirschstein, for example, used fencing to test for drift compatible partners when he thought they were actually worth his time. Other times, he’d flush finesse down the drain and physically fight the cadets he was paired up with for the small possibility that they might be compatible. The thought was that if a ranger was really worth his time, they’d be willing to fight the way he wanted.

 

Levi, Eldo, and Gunter had all rolled their eyes the moment Jean arrived at the training room and went to the locker area only to come out with a sabre and its partner. The partner sword was dedicated to whoever would be willing to fight with him. Often that person would be Levi, seeing as the elder was the only other person at the Alaskan Shatterdome with formal fencing experience.

 

The cadets, most excited, were looking forward to showing off their skills to the Corporal and anyone else willing to watch. By the time Jean had shown up, a few spectators had come to judge the new crop of rangers. One of these few spectators was Erwin who at the same time could be seen leaving the room to call someone several times.

 

Ready to take the initiative, Eldo and Gunter both stepped forward to explain the instructions and how everything would go down. Levi and Erwin both stood back and let them do what they were meant to do.

 

“Alright cadets. We’ll be testing you in an ‘unorthodox’ way. Most Shatterdomes have adopted the usage of staff fighting to test the compatibility of two pilots but we don’t prefer that method. We believe each cadet has the right to fight in the way that is most comfortable to them.” Eldo explained, catching the interest of several cadets.

 

Eldo gestured towards Jean. “An example would be Jean’s preference towards fencing.” He stated and in response Jean waved one sabre.

 

It was evident from Jean’s facial expression that he was more pissed off than usual. The entire time he stood there, leaning against the wall with both sabres in hand, he had his eyes on one freckled cadet who seemed as content with the situation as any.

 

“While you’re here, we will be searching for four cadets. Three of which must be compatible with each other, and one must be compatible with Jean Kirschstein.” Gunter started to speak, explaining the purpose of the cadets. “For the first week we will drill you, and test your abilities, scoping out your compatibility. The second week will be the compatibility tests. Those of you who do not get chosen because of compatibility can choose to stay if you may during the third week and you may find a place in the Shatterdome to occupy yourself. This can be on the front lines or in the mechanical crew.”

 

Marco seemed to perk slightly at the last statement from where he stood in the crowd. Another cadet, a shorter girl with black hair in pigtails, gave him a look of confusion and he awkwardly smiled back innocently.

 

“Alright, we will now be pairing you up in two person teams.” Eldo clapped his hands and soon each cadet was getting rounded up. Seeing as there were only fifteen cadets, Jean was called forward into the rotation to take his place with them. He was paired up with the short girl with pigtails. Marco ended up with the tallest Russian with dark brown hair.

 

Gunter and Eldo each began giving instructions. Each team was to pair up and duel, in whichever manner decided upon by the two individuals, until the time was up and they would then change teams.

 

When Jean’s partner was tossed the extra sabre, she looked confused. “I thought we would be agreeing on a fighting method.” She said in a questioning tone and Jean held up his sabre, standing back a few feet. He focused on the name tag placed on her ranger’s jacket. “Look, _Mina_ , I’m not in the mood to argue about it.”

 

The cadet, Mina, frowned but went along with it anyway. “What are the rules then?” She asked, unsure how Jean expected her to fence against him if she didn’t know how to play.

 

Jean looked slightly exasperated that she had to ask but was cut off by someone in a group near them before he could answer her question. “That’s a sabre so anywhere above the waist but the hands.” Marco answered for him and Jean could be seen turning around, almost fuming.

 

“What are you? An expert on fencing too?” Jean growled back at Marco who was in the middle of dodging a blow from a staff. He and the taller Russian must have agreed on using staffs to fight, like the normal way.

 

Marco shook his head, smiling again. “I did a research paper on fencing in the fifth grade.” He told, causing Jean to nearly want to rip his own half bleached hair out. Jean couldn’t figure out how in the world Marco just seemed to know everything and how he could be so nice about everything.

 

Mina took her move at the same time Jean was about to retort, poking Jean in the chest with the sabre and catching his attention. When he turned back, ready to redirect his apparent ‘fury’ on her, she regretted making the move.

 

Needless to say, when everyone was forced to change partners, Mina was going to have a lot of pin sized bruises later. Soon enough she was replaced with the larger of the Russians, not the tallest. Jean, now at least a little bit intimidated, greeted him. “Jean Kirschstein.” He said, sticking out a hand to shake the larger male’s.

 

“Reiner Braun.” The taller, bulkier blond replied and grinned. There was some sadistic pleasure in his eyes when he looked down at Jean’s afraid, though he wouldn’t admit it, expression.

 

Jean had to forgo the fencing, seeing as he wasn’t willing to fight with Reiner over what the man preferred for his method of fighting and in minutes the two were wrestling. To be more accurate, Jean was being wiped the floor with and Reiner was barely breaking a sweat. It was obvious there was no compatibility there.

 

Marco, however, seemed to be doing quite well with a ranger named Thomas. The two had continued to fight using the staffs like in their previous matches and were able to get along quite well. Marco seemed to be a very agreeable personality and average when it came down to his fighting skills.

 

Eventually when they were getting towards the end and Connie Springer, Sasha Braus, and Armin Arlert had showed up to watch the trainees with the company of one of the resident medics Christa, Marco and Jean were about ready to get paired up together.

 

All throughout the exercise, Jean and Marco had been giving each other looks. Marco’s were friendly and Jean’s were almost accusative of some nature. Everyone had started picking up on the underlying tension, including Erwin and Levi who while they were not saying it, were thinking that there might just be a possibility to the two could be compatible drift partners.

 

Once the time came for Marco and Jean to actually face each other, the other cadets were exhausted with the exception of the Russians and everyone had sort of put off the activity to watch the two.

 

“So, what makes you prefer fencing?” Marco had question when he walked up to Jean to pair up with him. He looked very interested and seemed to be excited about the match.

 

The same, however, could not be said for Jean. Jean looked both tired and pissed off. There was an annoyed expression glued to his face the second he saw he’d have to go up against the infuriatingly nice Marco Bodt. “Parents made me take lessons.” It was the only statement Jean offered up in response and he seemed about ready to pummel Marco at the first chance.

 

Marco grinned slightly at the statement but looked to be concerned about Jean’s attitude going into the fight. He graciously took the second sabre into his hand and looked like he had at least some knowledge in how to properly fence. Jean begrudgingly tossed that off to his research in the _fifth grade_. Who even remembers that stuff?

 

“So, is anyone else feeling this…weird…vibe going on between those two?” Gunter asked Eldo, the two of them standing just a few feet in front of Connie, Sasha, Armin, and Christa. There was a simultaneous mumbling of ‘yeah’ as the group of spectators responded.

 

Sasha, holding a bag of potato chips halted in her eating and pointed towards the two males just standing there with swords in hand making no move to action. “They’re not fighting.” She pointed out blatantly.

 

Connie shook his head and stole a potato chip from his partner. “There’s some strange sexual tension going on.” He said, receiving a simultaneous mumbling of agreement as before given to Gunter.

 

Meanwhile, Jean finally made a move to lunch at Marco. Marco easily sidestepped out of the way, a nervous grin on his face. The smile on his face seemed to fuel Jean even more as he went to lunch at him again, pointing the tip of the sabre at Marco’s chest.

 

Marco dodged the blow again, quite easily in fact and Jean continued several more times until he was standing there panting and frustrated. The fluidity of Marco’s movements suggested he could tell each action and how it would turn out even before Jean moved a muscle. He seemed to predict everything.

 

Just when Marco thought he could make his own move, Jean ducked slightly out of way. Marco wasn’t all that surprised, Jean was rather adept at the sport of fencing and could probably read into the moves of an amateur.

 

But as time went on and the both of them kept making moves to touch their sabres to the torso of the other male, neither of them ever landed a hit.

 

“Come on horse-face, you can do better than that.” Connie spurred Jean on when more than five minutes passed of the two not landing one single hit on each other. Both of them just kept dodging, each move flowing into the next like some sort of dance.

 

This only served to piss Jean off while everyone in the room who was smart enough to tell was seeing the two had a very high chance of compatibility. Armin smacked Connie on the shoulder lightly when Jean let out a loud noise of frustration. “Why can’t I hit you!?” He exclaimed angrily and Marco didn’t answer.

 

While Jean continued to get more and more upset, Marco’s ability to dodge him never faltered. He looked nervous because of Jean’s emotional reaction but it was clear that Marco was more concerned than afraid.

 

“I think they’re compatible.” Armin muttered, watching the two continue. They were long past the time where they would have been told to stop. Gunter and Eldo had been keeping eye contact with Levi and Erwin, the two commanding officers in the room watching Marco and Jean fight with calculating looks.

 

Finally, after another minute of watching the two go at it, Erwin raised his hand in a small halting gesture so Eldo and Gunter could see. The two men nodded their heads to relay that they got the message.

 

 

“Alright, we’re done. Preliminary evaluations will be taken into consideration for next week. Otherwise, you all can follow me to the cafeteria.” Eldo’s leading words were almost lost on Jean. Jean was too busy trying to land a hit on Marco but Marco stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder and handing him over the second sabre.

 

Jean still looked angry but that soon changed to confusion when Marco spoke. “I’m excited to see where we will be next week.” Marco said honestly and nodded towards Jean before following the other cadets out of the room.

 

Once the newer rangers had cleared the room, Connie, Sasha, Armin, and Christa walked over to Jean who was the only one left aside from Erwin and Levi.

 

Connie patted Jean on the shoulder once. “I’m guessing that was the guy who pissed you off earlier?” He assumed and Jean nodded his head.

 

“He’s still pissing me off now.” Jean commented, catching the attention of Levi and Erwin. The two commanding officers had been silent throughout most of the exercise but both definitely had things to talk about.

 

Armin glanced over towards Erwin and Levi, making eye contact for a moment. It was clear Armin was thinking it too. The kid was smart. He could see things like compatibility from just simple interactions between people. He’d been studying it on his own for ages. Erwin and Levi both respected his opinion greatly.

 

Pulling away to leave the room, Levi and Erwin walked into one of the many locker rooms for privacy to talk. “They’ve been like this since they met.” Levi commented, having watched Jean and Marco interact first hand.

 

“I wouldn’t doubt it.” Erwin replied back, sitting down on one of the benches in the middle of the room. Levi remained standing, looking around the area with slight scrutiny. While he had made sure everyone knew his standards for cleanliness, that day seemed lacking.

 

Erwin exhaled, seeming to have other things on his mind. He didn’t typically show his more human side around other people. Levi was one of the few exceptions, seeing as they had shared thoughts together and drifted. The drift wasn’t exactly what made them close in the first place. Levi’s personality was one that Erwin could understand and the two of them had a long standing relationship. The matter that they were drift compatible was a small one.

 

“Jean’s rough personality seems to be complimented by that ranger’s accepting nature.” Erwin concluded. “It’s Jean’s inability to understand kindness that makes him frustrated.”

 

Levi nodded his head, remaining quiet for a few moments before glancing over to Erwin again. “You look like shit. What happened?” He asked, gaze narrowing as he stared down Erwin.

 

Erwin ran his hand through his hair and gave Levi a sly look for a moment. “Thanks.” He smiled and then shrugged. “Bargaining with Nile over whether or not we needed another jaeger team to replace Cosmic Chaser.” He explained.

 

The response was immediate. Levi’s face went from moderate concern to deep disgust in seconds. “He thinks that everywhere else is top priority and less people live near our breach. I eventually got him to listen.” Erwin continued, not needing any verbal reply from Levi. He already knew what the shorter was thinking.

 

“What shit did we get stuck with?” Levi asked, knowing very well that because of several reasons they were unlikely to receive a good jaeger team. “We’re already operating understaffed.” He grumbled, furrowing his eyebrows and turning his glare towards the wall.

 

Erwin watched him for a moment as if calculating how to say what he wanted. “Yankee Revolution will be arriving shortly.” He stated simply, a small undertone of concern in his voice.

 

Levi reacted almost violently at that, borderline disbelief shadowing his features. “The jaeger or the team?” He interrogated, his voice urgent.

 

“Both.” Erwin replied back. The look in his eyes was that of understanding and sympathy.

 

Levi turned away from his partner. “Shit.” He cursed, thoughts rolling quickly through his mind. He didn’t know what he’d wanted or whether or not receiving the jaeger and its pilots was a good thing or a bad thing. The entire thing was a bundle of confliction.

 

Erwin eventually stood up, walking over and placing his hand on Levi’s shoulder. The shorter male looked extremely distressed. “It’ll be fine.” He tried to say reassuringly but knew that there wasn’t much of anything that would make Levi feel better at that moment.

 

-o-

 

“Hey, did you guy’s hear?” Eren’s voice called as he ran into the cafeteria looking both sweaty and nasty from recently piloting Giant Slayer with Mikasa. The other pilot was walking in behind him calmly as he approached the table where Armin, Connie, Sasha, and Jean sat.

 

Sasha shook her head, sliding her food over so Eren had room to sit down next to her. “What’s up?” She grinned but Eren flew right past her and picked up the remote off the table from between Armin and Jean. “Look!” He pointed towards the television nearest towards their table as he changed the channel.

 

 

Being prepared for transport in the Washington State Shatterdome was Yankee Revolution. “Yankee Revolution is getting shipped up here!” Eren exclaimed excitedly.

 

The rest of the table stared up at the screen suspiciously and somewhat with the same enthusiasm. The shot of Yankee Revolution was swapped over to the two pilots getting interviewed on the ground in front of it. Auruo Bossard and Petra Ral were grinning at the camera.

 

“ _What are you looking forward to about being transferred to the Alaskan Shatterdome?”_ The newsperson asked, sticking her microphone out so Auruo and Petra could answer.

 

Petra smiled and leaned in towards the mic. “ _I think the best part is getting to reunite with_ _our friends up north. Auruo and I were originally paired up in Alaska. Everyone up there is like family._ ” Petra explained into the microphone, causing Connie to turn back towards Eren.

 

“That’s right, Petra and Auruo were part of Levi’s first cadet group after he got injured. They were the same class as Gunter and Eldo.” Connie said, having not been around the base at the time but he had heard about Levi’s history with that class of rangers.

 

Eren nodded his head, finally plopping down beside Sasha. “Yeah, Petra was one of the nicest people I ever knew. It was sad to see her and Auruo get transferred.” He reminisced, his thoughts traveling elsewhere.

 

Jean turned to look at Armin. He’d finally calmed down about Marco’s niceness earlier. “Yankee Revolution is one of the jaegers with the most titan kills, right?” He asked, knowing Armin to be one of those people to remember statistics like that.

 

Armin nodded his head. “I wonder if Levi’s happy to see them back home. Those rangers are like family to him.”

 

Eren shrugged, watching as Mikasa sat down across from him. “Levi’s one of those people who’d prefer not to be around the people he cares about.” He stated as a matter of fact.

 

“Why is that?” Sasha asked curiously, receiving a shrug from Eren. “Hell if I know.”

 

-o-

 

Jean had been coming back from the community showers located in the same area as the pilots’ barracks, looking forward to a nice relaxing evening, when he’d spotted a certain ranger loitering around in the pilots’ barracks with a bag in one hand and a paper in the other.

 

Said ranger hadn’t seen him yet but did turn around at the sound of footsteps and water droplets hitting the metal floors of the hallways. Marco, initially shocked to see Jean, soon showed a face of appreciation at Jean’s presence.

 

“Jean, I’m glad to see you. I need help finding my room.” Marco smiled, seeming to have forgotten any difficulties that had come up earlier during the first training session.

 

Jean frowned, pointing past Marco and down the hall. “Cadets’ barracks are that way.” He grumbled, sauntering up to the freckled cadet slowly. Marco nodded his head.

 

“I know, but they said there wasn’t room so they gave me a different room assignment down here.” He explained, handing his paper over to Jean so the pilot could look at it. Jean gave him an odd look, frowning when he heard what Marco had said.

 

Typically, there was always room for every cadet when they came in. There wouldn’t be any changes to that unless someone stole a bed for some odd purpose and Jean couldn’t think of a reason why that would happen.

 

“Alright, fine.” Jean grumbled, pulling the paper from Marco’s hand and looking at it with scrutiny. It did in fact say that Marco was in the pilots’ barracks. But the room number…

 

Jean quickly ran over to his room door just a few yards away, staring at the paper and then at the door several times. Marco, confused, walked up behind him and stared at the door. “Oh, that seems to be it.” Marco grinned in thanks but Jean was still trying to grasp what was going on.

 

“WHAT?”

-o-

 

“Do you think Erwin and Levi knew what they were doing when they asked us to change that kid’s room assignment?” Eldo muttered as he looked towards the empty bed in the cadets’ barracks. It was difficult to know whether or not Erwin was making the right decision. Sometimes the shit he came up with sounded like it came from head of science, Hanji Zoe.

 

Gunter shrugged. “Probably. I mean, the two were looking compatible so putting them closer together must have been a better idea?”

 

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Eldo sighed as they both turned to leave the barracks and go and find themselves some coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any and all errors please point out to me in a comment. 
> 
> Also! Some explanation as to Yankee Revolution's name. In this fanfic, both Petra and Auruo are American pilots and Harlee and I thought the name was cute. :3


	4. Return of the Many

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanji Zoe, Yankee Revolution (with her pilots), and two reporters arrive at the Alaskan Shatterdome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I apologize for the wait. Updates may be sparse for the near future. Schoolwork is really bogging me down and well, the competition season for me is kinda picking up a bunch. (being team captain sucks). But, I figured I'd update this while I could. I took time out of my busy schedule for you all. XD I would have done it anyway.
> 
> Jean's showing more liking to Marco than first predicted and as for Hanji Zoe being the surrogate to Armin, Eren, and Mikasa, I really just wanted an excuse for momma hanji obsessing over Eren as a parallel to her obsessing over his titan abilities. Plus, I feel like Hanji would have done so if she was so caught up in Eren's passion for revenge. Plus Armin's a tiny genius and Mikasa is a good prospective pilot. 
> 
> Thanks so much everyone for the hits, kudos, bookmarks, etc!

Jean eventually got over having to share his room with Marco. Upper management kept telling him to shut up about it so he really had no choice. Forced to remove all his extra shit from the empty cot across his now shared room, Jean was finding himself shoved back into some semblance of a social life.

 

Marco seemed more average than anyone. He went to bed at normal hours, didn’t wake up screaming from nightmares, and had the manners of any _dapper_ fellow you’d meet in a different era. Needless to say, some of his ideals were outdated and Jean wouldn’t stop judging him or teasing him about it. Marco didn’t seem to ever take offense but just smiled and laughed a few laughs to go back to what he was doing.

 

No matter how much Jean tried pissing Marco off, the results were the same. Marco seemed to give him a look that said he understood everything in Jean’s head and he’d continue on as normal. Marco was _strange_.

 

The other pilots took a liking to him in seconds of having to share the same barracks as him. Armin and Marco hit it off when a conversation led astray leaned towards jaeger mechanics and suddenly the two seemed to be a match made in heaven. Or at least Jean thought that. Marco was likely compatible with Armin as well as anyone else. The guy had a malleable personality.

 

Even Mikasa warmed up to Marco. She may not have talked that much but the two shared a level of concern when Eren went off to do something off the walls crazy. Mikasa was happy he cared enough, even without knowing Eren for long.

 

Just a day into Marco moving in, he’d been inducted into the pilot’s table for his meals. Connie and Sasha refused him to be allowed to sit anywhere else.

 

Lucky for Jean, Marco’s schedule didn’t necessarily have to coincide with his unless Levi made it law that Jean showed up at the cadet’s training and tests. Typically he wouldn’t interact with the new cadets until their compatibility week. Jean wasn’t looking forward to the inevitable drifting with Marco. The guy was way too _nice_.

 

Everyone else seemed to love that about him as well. That was, everyone except Jean. Barring the fact that Jean didn’t like Marco at all, he still spent a lot of time with him. Marco was convinced that he could help out with Cavalier Blanc. Jean still wouldn’t let him touch the jaeger but the genuine interest in his jaeger did make him like Marco at least a little bit more.

 

Not that he would tell anyone that, though.

 

-o-

 

Both Marco and Jean were walking towards the jaeger bay, having heard about the arrival of Yankee Revolution. Marco was looking over a small notebook he had as he walked, staring at his notes on the specific jaeger. Jean was more interested in seeing the two pilots. Petra and Auruo were known to be some of the best jaeger pilots after Levi and Erwin.

 

They had been minding their own business, at least until Eren came running from the hallway they were walking down. The instant Eren spotted Marco and Jean he skidded to a stop in front of them. “Hanji’s back early.” He said in an almost horrified tone.

 

While Marco had never met the woman, Jean’s face instantly turned to the same fear on Eren’s. “Hanji Zoe?” Marco asked and Eren didn’t have time to respond before he heard someone yelling from down the hallway.

 

“Can I hide in your room for a little bit?” Eren whispered quickly, frantic. He was looking at Marco more than Jean, knowing that in normal circumstances that Jean wouldn’t have anything to do with Eren _Jaeger_.

 

Marco, puzzled, didn’t respond before Jean just grabbed hold of Eren’s arm and drug him back down the hallway towards the barracks. Having no idea what to do in the situation, Marco followed behind at a jog while the other two sprinted. In moments they were hiding in Marco and Jean’s room, listening as footsteps rushed down the hallway outside.

 

At the same time, Eren was shoved under Marco’s bed by Jean who was working rather hard to help one of his _sworn enemies_. Having heard about their rivalry from Connie the night before, Marco wondered why exactly the two were working together in such a situation. His only conclusion was that Hanji Zoe was a terror to them both and even Jean could sympathize.

 

About ready to ask about it, Marco’s arm was pulled and he was forced to sit with his legs blocking any view of Eren and Jean dropped down beside him to do the same. After a moment of waiting, Marco finally asked. “Why are you hiding from Hanji Zoe?” He questioned, leaning down slightly to look at Eren from the top of the bed.

 

Eren, curled up in a ball in the dusty space that was under Marco’s bed, responded back in a light whisper. “Hanji’s nuts.” He muttered before Jean kicked him to shut him up. “Hanji adopted Eren, Mikasa, and Armin after their families were killed by titans during the first wave of attacks. Ever wonder why the jaegers are called _jaegers_? Hanji is the definition of obsessive mom.” Jean interjected while Eren cursed at him from under the bed.

 

Marco raised an eyebrow in thought but he did remember hearing about the adoption. It was something about Eren’s utter desire to avenge his family that made her inspired to name the jaegers after him. “That would make sense then.” He observed.

 

The three were silent for another few moments as they still heard footsteps outside. Then there was a knocking on their door. Jean was the one to stand up, making Marco continue blocking the view of Eren. He then cautiously approached the door and looked out through the peep hole.

 

Apparently whoever was on the other side granted him to open the door quickly. “Mikasa!” Jean grinned but the girl pushed him aside and made her way into the room without a word to Jean like some form of rejection.

 

“Eren.” Mikasa said, walking over and then kneeling down to see under the bed. “Hanji is on the other side of the Shatterdome.” She notified him. Eren was otherwise still curled up in a ball underneath the bed where Marco was sitting, at least until Marco got up to let Mikasa have more room.

 

Just as quickly as they had been forced to hide him, Mikasa pulled Eren out from under the bed and the two were gone in a matter of seconds with Jean still lamenting over Mikasa’s lack of attention towards him. Marco, having noticed the interaction, stepped up next to his roommate. “You like her don’t you?” He assumed with a nudge to Jean and an almost devious smile.

 

Jean sighed and shrugged but gave no other answer. He then stepped out the still open door, Marco following behind. The two continued on their path over to the Yankee Revolution and its pilots.

 

-o-

 

Reporters didn’t make it up to the Alaskan Shatterdome often but a few nosy ones would show up from time to time at the order of some higher ups that were scrutinizing the Alaskan Shatterdome’s progress. Though, progress was a lacking term. They didn’t quite regress but they did make some good technological advances. Nothing was benefited from the fighting of titans and jaegers, however. There had been no change in the flow of incoming titans in a while and Hanji Zoe was focusing more on jaegers than titans for the moment. She still had her dream of getting one captive.

 

An event like the arrival of Yankee Revolution to its home would grant a few reporters for sure. Marlo Freudenberg was the type of reporter that you didn’t want to catch at a bad time. He was self-righteous and often was hired by bigwigs to do their investigations for him with the catch that he get to report it in the news. Investigative journalist Marlo, the name everyone feared.

 

The name Hitch could be feared even more so. Hitch was a news reporter who showed up everywhere where she could do damage to someone and she reported almost every story Marlo came up with. The two had known each other in school and worked together ever since.

 

The appearance of Hitch and Marlo at the Alaskan Shatterdome was something to be feared. Erwin and Levi were some of their favorite people to criticize and usually any information they turned up would spur Nile Dok, one of the most anti-jaeger officials to ever exist. The male was fighting for every chance he could to remove the jaeger program from existence and just construct walls for everyone to live behind.

 

Erwin and Levi had been against his plans since he mentioned them because what if one of the walls was damaged? Then hundreds upon thousands of titans would wash over the earth and eat everyone. They’d have no defense for something like that and what good does sweeping it under the rug do anyway? Levi and Erwin weren’t ready to give up their fight even after they were retired from the program.

 

That was why the two of them instantly soured at the sight of Marlo and Hitch hopping off of the same helicopter that dropped off Petra and Auruo. Petra and Auruo seemed to share the same sentiment as their faces were more disturbed than happy to be home.

 

At the sight of Levi standing next to Erwin, Petra instantly dashed over to say hello. She pushed through the small crowd of observers made up by rangers and mechanics with the occasional reporter. Auruo followed behind with a growing smirk on his face.

 

“Levi!” Petra grinned and for a moment Levi found himself smiling back, no matter how small the smile was. Erwin placed his hand on Levi’s shoulder for a moment before pushing him forward with some slight force. Petra took the notion as being able to zoom in for a hug and wrapped her arms around the shorter male.

 

Levi, unaccustomed to affection by anyone else but the people he trusted, was shocked out of his smile and forced hug her back.

 

There was the snapping of a few cameras but Erwin and Auruo had managed to block out most of the interaction by hovering around the two. Once Petra let go of her mentor, Levi was left staring up at his two former cadets. “Good to be back.” Auruo said, clapping him once on the shoulder and turning towards Erwin with a respectful nod.

 

As much as they were like family to Levi, Erwin was like everyone’s overly serious uncle that could be fun from time to time. Though in reality, it was more like he was a second dad or something. Levi was almost like a father to all four of his original cadets.

 

Struggling to recover from the disaster that was Iceland and the fall of Winged Freedom, Erwin had called for Levi to receive four cadets to train. It was something to bide his time, something to help him heal. Somehow, in the midst of it all, Levi and those four cadets managed to bond in a way that was similar to drift partners. Never having been in each other’s heads to fight giant monsters together, they still managed to drift on their own.

 

Petra, Auruo, Gunter, and Eldo were like Levi’s kids if he were going to have any to claim as his own.

 

“How’s Eren and the others?” Petra asked immediately, excited to be back home. “Did Cavalier Blanc finally get another pilot?” She questioned and Erwin interrupted for Levi.

 

He glanced back towards the white jaeger as it was hidden behind the man others in the hangar bay where they were taking Yankee Revolution. “We have a prospective cadet that looks to be compatible with our current pilot. Otherwise, Eren and the others are doing fine.” He smiled, grinning at Petra and Auruo.

 

“About time. Cavalier has been out for years now.” Auruo grumbled, turning to watch as Yankee Revolution was wheeled into the Shatterdome. It was a large and beautifully crafted jaeger. Revolution was one of the most classic designs, resembling something of a human but also retaining an armor-like physique. Plastered over its chest armor where a heart would normally be was an American flag, displaying more patriotism than any other jaeger.

 

Erwin and Levi stayed silent in response to Auruo’s comment but didn’t have to explain it as Marlo and Hitch pushed their way through the crowd and other reporters to talk to them in the rudest manner possible.

 

“Hi,” Hitch greeted in an oddly devious manner that had an almost seductive undertone as she blinked at Auruo who was obviously the first person she could talk to. “I’m Hitch, I’m with the Global Titan Defence Corps News Station, we wanted to talk more about your moving here.” She grinned and Marlo stood beside her with a notepad and recording device in hand.

 

Auruo was about to respond in what would most likely be a displeased manner when Erwin intervened for damage control. “We’ll not be talking about this here. Contact us and we’ll schedule a time.” Erwin said, knowing very well that the two reporters would nose their way into staying up north with the Shatterdome for as long as possible to dig up dirt.

 

“I wasn’t asking _you_ , I was asking him.” Hitch specified, pointing towards Auruo and giving Erwin the cold shoulder. Petra and Levi were standing back fuming in their own manners for their own reasons. Levi was displeased that anyone would shove aside Erwin’s authority, even if he didn’t outwardly display it other than glaring at Hitch and Petra was getting rather angry that Hitch would even try some level of flirtation with her partner.

 

Auruo glanced towards Erwin once before turning towards Hitch. “Like he said, we’re not available. Lots of things to do, so little time.” He shrugged plainly like there was nothing to do and wrapped an arm around Petra before sneering at Hitch and walking away.

 

Erwin and Levi followed, the four of them retreating back to the safety of the Shatterdome’s indoors.

 

Hitch and Marlo were left standing in the dust, angry and upset that they’d received no answers yet and nothing to report back to the bigwigs that hired them. “Way to go, Marlo.” Hitch grumbled, punching her partner in investigation. Marlo frowned and smacked her back.

 

“I didn’t do anything.” He defended himself. “I just took notes!”

 

-o-

 

Connie and Sasha were out battling titans still when dinner rolled around and Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, and Marco settled into the cafeteria. Eren was keeping his head low in fear of being found by Hanji still. Evidently his surrogate mom hadn’t found him yet but she was rampaging around the Shatterdome to do so.

 

The five of them were sitting at the dinner table eating some mash of foods that they didn’t recognize. The officers table was empty and there was a rumor that Hitch and Marlo were investigating the premises. No one had seen Petra and Auruo yet.

 

This quickly changed when the doorway to the canteen opened and Erwin and Levi showed up with three people in tow. Erwin and Levi typically ate in their offices or elsewhere, probably in accordance to their relationship, however disrupted it usually was.

 

That was when Hanji pushed past the two commanding officers, looking around wildly for her ‘kids’. As much as she would like for them to have fully accepted her as their mom, she was more like a crazy aunt to the three orphaned children she was guardian to.

 

The second Eren saw her, and she saw him, the woman brightened with a level of utter glee that couldn’t be matched. The following spectacle was typical whenever Hanji left for business or Eren went elsewhere. The only ones in the entire filled cafeteria who reacted were the newer cadets who were not accustomed to Hanji’s interactions were Eren.

 

“Ereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!” Hanji yelled excitedly as she ran at full speed towards her adopted child. Eren, wanting nothing more than to hide under the table he was sitting at and pretend he was dead, cringed and prepared for impact as it took the woman ten seconds to cross the entire cafeteria to reach him.

 

She’d practically tackled him to the floor, had he not already been sitting. “Oh, momma’s missed you!” Hanji grinned.

 

“Hanji…” Eren grumbled, looking to Mikasa and Armin for help. That was when Hanji turned her attention to her other two ‘children’. She smiled brightly at Mikasa who just looked back at her blankly. (The two were never close). She then turned to Armin who was grinning awkwardly. Eren was obviously her favorite but Armin was her second.

 

Luckily for the three, the arrival of Erwin, Levi, Petra, and Auruo disrupted any further tortures for the pilots. Petra was the first to speak as she promptly sat down beside Armin. “So, it’s been a long while!” She greeted just as Auruo took his place beside her. To their surprise, Erwin and Levi sat down on the same side that Jean and Marco sat at.

 

Marco shifted in his seat awkwardly at the presence of Erwin sitting next to him. He was more than nervous to be sitting with the director of the program at the Alaskan Shatterdome _and_ such a decorated hero.

 

“Sir,” Marco greeted and Erwin smiled at him in response. Jean didn’t seem to care about ranking in the moment and almost possessively pulled Marco away from Erwin just a tad. Marco shot him a look when it happened but otherwise said nothing.

 

“It’s great to have you two back in Alaska.” Armin stated, causing Petra and Auruo to nod their heads sagely. Petra seemed to be excited about meeting the newer additions of their pilot’s family up in the north.

 

She turned towards Marco and Jean. “I don’t believe I’ve met you before.” She said, gesturing towards the two sitting directly across from her. Auruo nodded his head, pointing towards Jean. “You’re the pilot to Cavalier Blanc.” He assumed and Jean shrugged in response.

 

Marco quickly elbowed Jean in the side for being rude. “That’s exactly what he is.” Marco added, sticking out a hand to shake theirs. “I’m Marco Bodt. I’m only a cadet right now but I hope I can plan to stay here in Alaska.”

 

Petra and Auruo glanced once to each other after surveying Jean and Marco’s interactions before smiling and nodding. “I think you’ll find a place alright.” Auruo commented, shooting Erwin and Levi a knowing look as well. This was definitely their prospective cadet.

 

Hanji interrupted then, also seeing what they saw. “Have you found anyone for my new jaeger? Three pilots is a challenge. I thought Jean, Armin, and Eren would work for sure.” She changed the subject, looking towards Levi and Erwin expectantly.

 

“Not a strong enough neural handshake.” Levi replied dryly and Hanji hummed. They were probably the only Shatterdome that wouldn’t put slightly compatible pilots together to go die on their first run. They were highly against the practice and had seen it done too many times to allow it to happen under their own control.

 

Erwin looked almost happy, sitting there with his pilots and his fellow officers. “I think it’ll turn out well. We got many good cadets this go around.” He glanced towards Marco who was nervously smiling back. Erwin then turned towards Hanji. “We have three cadets we want you to test next week. They look to be compatible enough at a first glance.”

 

Hanji immediately grinned deviously in anticipation. “A-ok with me.” She looked to be thinking about her jaeger finally getting piloted. It was nothing more than another experiment for her.

 

She then stood, the look on her face seeming to change as she hummed in thought. “Well, I should be getting back to the lab. Been away for a few days and I’m itching to get back.” She said almost like a cover up, ruffling Eren’s hair with her hand and then turning to run off to the science department.

 

Armin watched her cautiously and Erwin and Levi suspected something. It was likely Levi would investigate it later.

 

Otherwise, dinner proceeded on as normal. All of the pilots reminisced and Jean found himself paying more attention to Marco than anyone else at the table. Marco was focused on whatever Erwin and Levi had to say, enamored with the presence of the two higher ups.

 

The outlook seemed to be turning up, even with the presence of Marlo and Hitch and the recent loss of Cosmic Chaser.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehehe, I introduced Hitch and Marlo. Honest to god this was not a plan on my part. I literally did this at random today. Even Harlee, (co-contributor to this story), doesn't know SQUAT about this decision. Seeing as they're military police and so is Nile, I thought they could be in cahoots.
> 
> THE GLOBAL TITAN DEFENSE CORPS: aka this version of the PPDC in pacific rim. It comes with a news station which is reporting info about the titan/human war 24/7 and that is what Hitch works for. Marlo works for both them and Nile as an investigative journalist. ye
> 
> Feel free to leave me some comments peeps. I need em. For life. ALSO MARCO AND ERWIN AWK FRIENDS FOR LIFE


	5. Pray for the Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Erwin talk about who will be drift compatible, Erwin talks with Jean, and all hell decides to break loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohohoho, well writing this chapter has actually changed a lot for the fic. I had no idea what to put in this chapter because I wanted to keep some things for later chapters and welp...it sorta wrote itself towards the end? Hehehe. 
> 
> I apologize for any grammatical or spelling errors. I had to write this rather quickly because SOMEONE was rushing me. (im looking at u harlee). Otherwise, there are some fluff moments sorta for different pairings. Nothing maaaaajor but we're taking a bit more of a turn in seeing some of Levi and Erwin's interactions. :) You might curse Hanji.
> 
> ENJOY~~

For the majority of the refugees’ first week at the Shatterdome, there was only Levi and the possible help of Gunter or Eldo to help test and train the kids. The preliminary evaluations were going smoothly and the three Russians, Reiner Braun, Bertholdt Fubar, and Annie Leonhardt seemed to be showing exceptional results. At the end of each day, Levi would hand in his paperwork to Erwin with the three names circled in red pen. The only other mark on the paper that might seem out of order was the star next to Marco’s name.

 

Erwin had made it to a few of the cadet ranger sessions in the morning but most of his time during that week was spent allocating Yankee Revolution and fending off Marlo and Hitch. The two had been digging into the jaeger program with their sharp eyes and were bound to see some of the problems that were arising. Or worse, they might find Hanji’s work which wasn’t approved of by any means.

 

“Do you really think this will work?” Erwin eventually asked Levi at the end of that first week. Levi had handed in his compatibility test paperwork, the very same that would predict the outcomes of the drift compatibility between two rangers.

 

He had put Annie Leonhardt, Reiner Braun, and Bertholdt Fubar down for a three way test and Marco Bodt was signed up to finish a compatibility test with Jean.

 

Levi sat himself down on the corner of Erwin’s desk and picked up one of the many little trinkets Erwin had sitting around. It was a piece from Winged Freedom before she got melted down. “The Russians will be compatible. It’s whether or not Kirschstein will be willing to drift with Bodt.” He stated, studying the small piece of Winged Freedom carefully. He’d done so many times before but the part still made him feel a little more broken inside.

 

Erwin remained silent, looking at the paperwork in thought. For once, Levi filled the silence. The jaeger pilot instructor turned around and held out the small rotating axel from Winged Freedom. “Why do you even have this?” He asked, genuinely confused but still as serious as possible. Erwin’s desk was full of things from their piloting days.

 

Turning his attention towards his old partner, Erwin smiled. “For the same reason anyone keeps trophies really. They want to remember good times.” He responded, reaching out and picking up a photograph of the day when Erwin and Levi had gotten back from their first titan kill run. Levi still looked primarily the same, but there did seem to be a glint in his eyes that was happier. He stood differently now from the injury.

 

Levi looked towards the picture in Erwin’s hand with some contempt. He never liked seeing photos of Erwin before the incident anymore. It was really only a reminder of their failure that day. The memories were more bitter than sweet.

 

Erwin knew just how much it ached Levi to see things from their prime years. Levi was meant to be out there in a jaeger, fighting titans and defending humanity. Even if Levi managed to accept some of his fate, he’d never really let go.

 

Knowing that they needed a change of mood, Erwin stood up from his chair and placed the picture back down. He made his way around his desk and made his way to the door. “There are still preparations to be made before Yankee Revolution can go out on her first run.” Erwin stated as Levi put the piece of Winged Freedom down and made his way to the door as well.

 

Levi didn’t respond verbally but just made his way over to Erwin’s left side. Typically he’d go to the right but for whatever reason he decided not to. It only made it easier for Erwin when he wrapped his arm around Levi’s shoulders and leaned down to place a brief kiss to the crown of the shorter male’s head.

 

The shorter male scowled and pressed the button that would mechanically open the door. “That was shit.” He stated aloud as he turned around to face Erwin again.

 

What Erwin didn’t expect was for Levi to grab hold of the collar of his jacket and pull him downwards in one swift moment. It only took a millisecond for Levi to force their lips together in a brutal kiss. At first it was a little jarring but the two were used to it. Levi probably would have reached over to shut the door again had a voice not interrupted them.

 

“ _Wow_ , you guys look desperate. You getting enough alone time?” Hanji’s familiar voice intruded. She was standing right in front of them, hands on her hips and a wide grin on her face. Having known the two of them since the introduction of the jaeger program, Hanji was quite accustomed to walking in on things she wasn’t meant to.

 

Erwin and Levi looked at her, still lip locked for the most part, and frowned. That was when Levi stepped away, pretty crabby about her showing up. They hadn’t even gotten to enjoy their little vacation of no Hanji before she managed to come back _early_.

 

“What do you want.” Levi didn’t exactly ask the question, it was more of a statement. Hanji seemed dejected at the change of conversation.

 

She then pointed in the direction of the jaeger bay. “Yankee Revolution’s systems check went perfectly and Eren and Armin are about to launch. We’ve got a large group of titans emerging from the breach right now. We were thinking of sending Highlander back out for another few hours to help out.” Hanji started, and the two commanding officers nodded their heads.

 

“How long were Springer and Braus out?” Erwin asked, straightening his jacket collar where Levi had grabbed it.

 

Hanji thought for a moment as she stepped out of the way of the two as they emerged from the office. “Ten hours already. They ran into some trouble out there and had to stay out for an extra two hours.” She replied back.

 

Erwin nodded his head. “Send them back out and start a drift simulation on Yankee Revolution. If they’re ready, send them out to help.” He ordered and Hanji nodded her head in response. The scientist then quickly took off down the hall. If more titans were coming through then there was a definite problem.

 

Sighing, Erwin looked back towards Levi. “Start the compatibility tests for those three rangers. I’ll talk to Jean.”

 

Levi nodded his head and disappeared down the hallway as well.

 

-o-

 

Marco had gotten back from his cadet ranger session that morning to find Jean sitting on his bed with a shoebox full of cards. After closer inspection, Marco noticed that they were jaeger and pilot trading cards. Just like they did with baseball, a trading card industry sprang up from the introduction of the jaeger program. Marco hadn’t expected Jean to be that into the franchise.

 

“Trading cards?” He commented as he picked up a paperback book from his desk and plopped down on his own bed.

 

Jean hadn’t yet glanced up at Marco since he entered the room. “Got a problem with it?” Jean muttered back, staring at a particular card rather closely. From across the room, Marco could tell that it was a pilot card. He could recognize the graphics as well. Plastered on the back was a very familiar jaeger.

 

“No. I have a large collection at home.” Marco replied as he flipped through the pages of his book to where he’d last left off. It was his third time rereading the book since he’d bought it two Shatterdomes ago.

 

Jean finally looked up, now seeming to be more interested in Marco than he had been before. “What’s your favorite card?” He questioned, now eager to hear the answer.

 

Marco smiled, reaching the page he had been looking for. He then reached down and pulled out a trading card that had been acting as a bookmark and held it up for Jean to see. The card was all too familiar as it depicted Cavalier Blanc in all of her glory. The card was practically in mint condition and seemingly laminated to protect it.

 

“Look familiar?” Marco grinned at Jean’s shocked face. There was a reason that he had been interested in the jaeger on his first day.

 

Jean pointed at him. “No way.” He said in disbelief, still jaw dropped. He hadn’t expected for this ranger to actually be a fan. No one was a fan of Cavalier Blanc anymore. She and Jean had been out of the game for so long and there wasn’t anything to be a fan of. They didn’t get many kills when they were in service.

 

“Back home they tend to watch the French broadcasts more. I thought Cavalier was a great jaeger. She’s definitely unique and has a lot of modifications we don’t see in other jaegers.” Marco explained as he put the card down beside him.

 

It took Jean a moment to remember that Marco said the French broadcasts. “Where are you from?” Jean asked, trying to think of places where they might listen to the French broadcasts. Marco didn’t look like he came from a French speaking country. If anything he looked more Italian than anything.

 

“Quebec.” Marco responded with a smile. “I know I don’t exactly sound like it anymore. I was a mechanic in Panama for several years so I lost the accent rather quickly among the other engineers. I can still speak French fairly well, though.”

 

Jean stared at his roommate, bewildered. “I didn’t peg you for Canadian…though it might explain your ‘ultra-nice at all times’ personality. Which, by the way, is annoying as hell.” He commented, mentally having to remember that _he didn’t like this guy_. He’d have to remember not to speak French around Marco.

 

“There’s nothing wrong with being _nice_ to people. Your grumpy personality is a buzz-kill, if I may be honest.” Marco replied back smartly, looking down to his book.

 

Jean raised his eyebrows in question. “Oh _really_? Well your-,” He was cut off by a knock on the door. Both rangers quickly looked towards the noise. Marco was the one to get up to answer it. He didn’t exactly believe in Jean’s ‘if they want to come in, they will’ policy.

 

To Marco’s surprise, not exactly Jean’s, Erwin was standing there in the doorway. “Sir,” Marco greeted immediately, pulling the door open to let the taller male in. Erwin nodded his head in acknowledgement.

 

“I’m here for Jean. Would it be alright if I spoke with him in private?” Erwin responded in question and Marco immediately nodded his head. Jean briefly wondered why Erwin needed Marco’s permission anyway. Marco wasn’t his partner jaeger pilot. There was no reason why they’d be ‘attached’ to each other.

 

Marco quickly vacated the room, stepping outside and announcing that he’d be heading to the jaeger bay. Jean vaguely wondered if he was going to go read up on Cavalier Blanc like he had caught the ranger doing. Marco had been reading about other jaegers as well, but Cavalier was definitely his favorite jaeger.

 

“Am I in trouble?” Jean asked as he further slumped on his bed, leaning into the wall behind him more. He didn’t like keeping appearances up for Erwin. The two had way too many conversations in the past two years than necessary.

 

Erwin shook his head, looking at the stacks of trading cards. He could spot Levi’s pilot card and Winged Freedom in an unsorted pile. “You aren’t. Not yet at least. We have reason to believe you may be compatible with one of the cadets.” Erwin stated as he sat down at Jean’s desk, facing the chair towards where Jean as still slouching against the wall and flipping through cards.

 

“Who could _that_ be? You know it’s not going to work.” Jean said as he propped one foot up on the edge of his bed and picked up the card he’d been staring at earlier.

 

Erwin noticed the card and sighed. It was Etienne Baudin’s card. The French pilot had been Jean’s first and only partner to pilot Cavalier Blanc with. It was a pity that the man had to die so early. “It could work if you let it, Jean. Your personal problems with matching up to other pilots can be retained if you work hard enough.”

 

Jean rolled his eyes and threw the card he was holding back on the pile and picked up Erwin’s pilot card from where it had been in a pile of retired or injured pilots. “Who is it anyway? None of those kids seemed at all tolerable.” He asked, shooting a look towards Erwin.

 

“It isn’t whether or not they are tolerable. It is whether or not a strong neural handshake can be created between one of them and you.” Erwin reminded. If anyone was as stubborn as Levi, it was Jean Kirschstein.

 

Jean huffed once. “Just tell me who it is already.” He repeated.

 

Erwin gave a half smirk as he glanced towards the doorway where Marco had disappeared. “Someone you’re rather close to already.” He answered as he stood up to leave the room. If Jean wasn’t willing to listen for the day, then he’d have to come back to talk with him again later.

 

Meanwhile, Jean was frustrated at the lack of a straight answer and also upset that he had a pretty good idea who Erwin meant. “No way! I’m not drifting with that guy!” Jean shouted as Erwin left the room. All he got in response was a small chuckle.

 

-o-

 

Marco made it to the jaeger bay in time to meet Auruo Bossard and Petra Ral on their way to suit up and run a test neural handshake in Yankee Revolution. Already getting back in their jaeger were Connie and Sasha who looked about ready to pass out.

 

“Are you sure you’re feeling up to this? You were feeling sick earlier.” Auruo asked worriedly. Petra was looking a little pale in the face but otherwise she seemed fine.

 

She shook her head, ignoring her partner as she turned to greet Marco. “Come to watch Revolution?” She asked and Marco nodded sheepishly. Auruo still seemed to be upset about something or other but Petra was ignoring his concern.

 

“I hope everything works out.” Marco said back.

 

Just moments later, Hanji’s shouting caught there attention and people were running in multiple directions. “Someone get Erwin!” A voice called from the Shatterdome room. Marco, Auruo, and Petra immediately ran towards the room.

 

“What’s wrong?” Auruo yelled over the panicking voices of the people inside. Hanji turned around just as someone hit the titan alarm.

 

A loud beeping noise echoed through the halls and the lights began flashing red. “Too many titans have come out of the breach. Giant Slayer can’t beat them back. They’re on their way here.” Hanji explained, her voice filled with both worry and seriousness.

 

Marco pointed towards the direction where he’d come. “I know where the Commander is. I can go get him.” He informed her and Hanji nodded her head rapidly before turning around to shout more orders to the men in the room.

 

At the same time, Hanji turned back around to get Connie and Sasha launched and outside to fight as quickly as possible. “Yankee Revolution to the deck! We need to deploy!” A voice on the intercom announced overhead and in moments Petra and Auruo were gone.

 

Marco ran off towards the pilots’ barracks in search of Erwin and Hanji stood there in the middle of the Shatterdome, hoping that they could fight off the titans. They would deploy Yankee Revolution and Highland Avenger again with their two other jaegers on rotation but they would need more. She knew they would need more.

 

She turned around to look and see if any more of the pilots had showed up but didn’t find any. Instead she saw Levi and the three Russians that were their best bet for the three way jaeger. Maybe that was just what they needed.

 

-o-

 

Marco met Erwin halfway and running along behind was Jean. The two were instantly asking what was happening. “Too many titans from the breach. They completely bypassed Giant Slayer and are heading here.” Marco shouted as he approached them from the other end of the hallway.

 

“Are they deploying Yankee Revolution and Highland Avenger?” Erwin asked as Marco came closer. Marco nodded his head and pointed towards the direction of the Shatterdome room.

 

Erwin nodded and took off in that direction. Marco waited until Jean reached him before the two turned around to run back to the Shatterdome. “Damn! We aren’t prepared for this kind of thing!” Jean cursed as he ran along with Marco.

 

Several more pilots were running in the direction of the jaegers behind them as well. Marco looked around as more and more people began running down hallways. “What do you even do in this situation?” He asked, unsure why some people were running in different directions.

 

Jean let out a noise of frustration as he dodged a stray jaeger mechanic that was running past them from another hallway. “Pray for the best. Deploy every jaeger possible and then send everyone into the underground shelters. The theory is that titans won’t get down there but I’ve seen it happen.” Jean grumbled. He wondered just how the secondary line was doing. They had probably been told to move back and protect the nearest towns. Exoskeleton pilots were always in much more danger when shit like this happened.

 

“What if we can’t stop them?” Marco asked genuinely worried. Jean shook his head.

 

“Then we lose an entire Shatterdome and likely all of the pilots. It means a lot more people are going to die.” He answered cynically. There wasn’t exactly a method to fighting large titan hoards anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As for the titans bypassing Eren and Armin. You think they'd want to pass the hard to eat food and go for the easy meal right? :D
> 
> Also reminder, exosleketon pilots are the people who make up a secondary line and take out stray and smaller titans. They're almost always situated around settlements and typically can handle the tiny titans that jaegers leave for them. That's what Jean did for about a year(? gotta check info) or so after losing his partner.


	6. Surviving the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The threat of the Titans continues to rear its head at the Shatterdome as multiple problems arise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god guys, I can't tell you how sorry I am about taking forever to update this fic. I SWEAR ON MY LIFE IT WILL NEVER BE ABANDONED, but seriously guys I'm sorry. I had a lot of life shit go down. I moved from one state to another, had a bunch of school troubles, college applications, hella busy summer, lost some close members of the family. But whatever, I'm back.
> 
> So here it is, the response to the titan attack and arrival of the three-man jaeger! Which, btw, needs a name. Soooo, you guys get to help choose something amazing! Also, if you guys want, there's another unnamed jaeger in this chapter you should feel free suggesting names for too. But otherwise, I really wanted to get this chapter out. Sorry if it's short or anything? I tried to keep to my old standards. Not much Marco in this chapter but some interesting developments for Jean and some really dramatic things going down with the Jaegers! 
> 
> Otherwise, uh, well. I don't really know? Enjoy the chapter and keep your ear out for notes at the bottom!

Tension levels were near maximum in the Alaskan Shatterdome as impending doom seemed to make its way there. Luckily, in most cases, titans weren’t fast and the terrain and temperature outside typically slowed them down some over long distances. Plus, half the landscape was covered in fragile ice pockets which if stepped on wrong by big robots or monsters could shatter.

Yankee Revolution and Highland Avenger were already heading out across the mile of Alaskan land to the volcanic breach points to meet up with Giant Slayer. Everyone considered Eren and Armin to be lucky for not getting torn apart by the titan hoard before it moved on. This was especially common among the people watching the jaegers move towards the danger ahead of them.

Hanji, however, was not among the individuals thinking about the jaegers in the field. She was instead thinking of the jaegers she could still send out to fight and just then, she was making the most risky decision she possibly could.

In front of her were the three Russian pilots decked out halfway in piloting gear as she quickly began running one test neural drift to see if the three could handle each other well enough to actually pilot something. Behind her, Levi had already moved into her commanding position and given her the free hands to continue her plan. Erwin was doing the same for the most part and was forced to respond to calls from anxious government officials.

None of them noticed the two reporters lingering about and watching the happenings when clearly they should have been heading to the underground bunkers. Instead the rush was too high as adrenaline all made them think of how to benefit their situation, rather than let things get worse.

“Zoe!” Erwin called but Levi was already on it the moment the Commander spoke.

Pulling away from the control panel where the stats for the live jaegers was, Levi hobbled over to the three rangers he was convinced could be pilots. “Cut the shit and just put them in that jaeger. They’ll drift.” Levi ordered as he pulled Hanji up from kneeling on the ground and plugging in wires.

“But Levi-,” She almost started to say but stopped herself when she saw the look in Levi’s eyes. This was no time for precautionary action. This was the balls to the walls, drop everything and just go for it type of situation. For a split moment of continuing that thought, she turned around and looked in the direction of Marco and Jean.

Levi pulled her back and shook his head. Then Hanji was off, dragging Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt towards the large three piloted jaeger that had yet to be named.

At the same time, Jean and Marco walked over to Erwin’s side just as he had the technicians head off after Hanji and the three Russians as well. “Sir, is there anything we can do to help.” Marco asked immediately when there was a moment of silence. Jean nervously looked at his roommate after he asked it. If what Erwin said was true, they could force Jean to drift with Marco and pilot Cavalier Blanc in this situation. Jean didn’t know if he could handle that.

Erwin was silent for a moment of contemplation before nodding. “We have a smaller jaeger we can deploy. I need you to get Gunter and Eldo to it.” He said both sternly but also softly in a manner that said he was aware of their wrecked nerves.

Marco nodded and looked to Jean for a moment. He then took off at a jog, leaving the partner-less pilot standing there. Jean wondered if Marco did it so that the two of them wouldn’t have to drift together on such short notice but then again he wasn’t sure Marco knew that the two of them were lined up to do those tests. He also didn’t think Marco would even contemplate the thought of even being forced out into the field so early. But at least, for Marco, there was less internal anxiety.

Erwin turned slightly to look past Jean and spotted Marlo and Hitch. “Do me a favor and remove those two. They need to be relocated to a _safer area_.” He narrowed his eyes as he spoke the last two words and Jean turned to see what he was talking about. When he spotted the two reporters, he groaned audibly.

“Will do, boss. Will do.” Jean grumbled as he turned around and walked in the direction of the two nosy reporters who wouldn’t stop getting into other people’s business. Hitch seemed to be poking at some device that was clearly not meant for touching which everyone knew could cause some sort of interference in the field.

Steeling himself, Jean stopped in front of the two. “Excuse me, but you’ll need to be relocated to the safety bunkers. I’ll direct you there.” He said, holding up his arms and gesturing in the direction of the hallways away from the Shatterdome’s main control area. Marlo seemed to almost agree with him but Hitch shot him a skeptical look.

“Must we really?” She asked, seeming to think that being a reporter made her important. Jean nodded his head, hiding how ticked off he really was by tensing his jaw. Hitch noticed it and rolled her eyes, pushing Marlo in the direction of the way Jean had gestured to. “Come on, loser.” She added, grumpy with her new directions.

Jean was glad they’d gone that willingly and shot a look in Erwin’s direction. The man managed to nod once at him before continuing to shout orders. He and Levi were already being pushed into enough anxiety. Jean didn’t need any further orders from them. It was his job to relocate the pesky reporters as soon as possible. Then hopefully he’d be able to get back to the main control room to help.

Managing to make it down two hallways in the direction of the bunkers, Jean prided himself in the fact they hadn’t said anything. Yet, that wouldn’t last long. Hitch was dead convinced on making herself a problem and they still had a long way to go.

“So…, you’re that one pilot right? The one without a partner?” She hummed, looking at him in a way that read as endearing on massively fake levels.

Jean frowned, avoiding looking at her. He really didn’t feel like punching a woman today and he knew this lady was prone to pushing her limits. Erwin had always said he wasn’t allowed to talk about his piloting situation to reporters, lest they use it against him and the Alaskan Shatterdome. Jean didn’t need that. He also didn’t feel like getting walked all over verbally. Hitch always had a way of torturing a person with words alone. Jean could remember the last time she’d gotten Armin alone. Eren had threatened her life that day and he was surprised Hitch had the gall to come back.

“I’m the pilot for Cavalier Blanc.” He replied, saying nothing more than that. It wasn’t a lie and it wouldn’t tell her much about the situation. Hopefully she’d accept that as the needed answer and stop poking her nose in his business.

Except that wasn’t what happened, not in the least. “Oh, the _White Knight_. I always wondered why she wasn’t returned into service after they couldn’t find a partner for you.” She teased aloud, expertly pushing at Jean’s buttons.

He avoided looking at her, knowing her facial expression would be just as goading. Jean didn’t allow himself to respond. He’d managed through enough press conferences with the same question being asked of him. After his partner had died, so many people had been wondering what would happen. Cavalier Blanc was one of the strongest jaegers at the time. It was a public favorite, being one of the most beautiful in appearance and a strong beginning record.

Everyone just wanted Cavalier to come back and keep fighting. Jean had tried his hardest to make it happen, but the stress of losing a person so close to him and having such a difficult personality made it near impossible. After it had happened, so many people asked him about whether he’d found a partner yet and when he’d come back. He had hated it, feeling like they were ignoring his old teammate while the rigor mortis hadn’t even set in yet.

After a few months of searching to no avail, the reporters started asking whether or not he’d be replaced completely. Cavalier was one of the strongest jaegers, why hadn’t they just found a new pair of pilots? Jean had feared it so much at the time. But then his saving grace arrived in a one manned jaeger veteran.

Erwin had offered to take him and Cavalier Blanc up to Alaska to join his crew of jaegers. All Jean cared about was making sure his jaeger stayed _his_. Erwin was able to make that promise and took him away from all the reporters and the attention. Cavalier Blanc went underground, disappearing from the news.

If Jean could have handled it back then when the wounds were still fresh, he knew he could handle Hitch now. Turning towards her, he steeled himself for her biting remarks. “Cavalier Blanc is my jaeger. She’s not anyone else’s.” He said possessively, causing Hitch to lean away from him as he leaned too far into her bubble of personal space.

Marlo frowned. “Economically speaking, it’s unreasonable for you to hoard that jaeger when situations like this arise. If I’m not mistaken, they were just placing three untrained pilots that have never drifted together before into a jaeger that has never been test piloted. Instead, they could just have another team out there with Cavalier Blanc rather than endangering such a large investment of money _and_ those three lives.” He commented, obviously just doing what he normally did. He was weighing the options but Jean didn’t like what he was hearing.

Even if Marlo was making complete sense, it still didn’t sit right with him when people suggested he give up Cavalier Blanc. Piloting was all Jean had. He didn’t want to lose that because of his stupid inability to drift properly with someone.

“You’re kind of being inconsiderate.” Marlo added. Although innocent in his intentions, it still pissed off Jean.

Curling his hand into a fist and grabbing Marlo by the front of his jacket, he pushed him up against the wall. “Don’t even consider saying that twice.” Jean threatened, fury and anger basically radiating from his features. Next to them, Hitch stood with her hands in her pockets and looking at them with quite the amused smile on her lips.

“I knew jaeger pilots were traumatized but attacking a reporter for speaking the truth? You’re pushing it, honey.” She stated, obviously not afraid of getting pummeled to the ground by Jean. She probably thought he wouldn’t touch a woman.

Marlo looked at her for help the moment she said it but he was ignored. His attention diverted, Jean turned and glared at Hitch. However much it grinded his gears, Jean realized he needed to pull back before he got a law suit on his hands. Not that it mattered much, they were all in danger of getting eaten alive at the moment. Which, being reminded of that fact, he looked down the hallway. They weren’t too far from the bunkers.

At the exact same moment, the ground seemed to shake slightly as though from an earth quake. The shatterdome creaked with the sensation and the concrete walls around them seemed to seem much less safe. Obviously feeling intimidated and afraid, Hitch and Marlo looked to each other anxiously.

“The bunker is down the hallway. You see that staircase? Keep heading down until you reach the bolted doors. You’ll be met by someone.” Jean forced himself to be nice. He then turned and faced the direction in which a large metal grinding sound came from.

Marlo and Hitch didn’t need to hear him repeat himself before they took off running. Clearly danger had shown up at their door and they needed to get to safety before they were devoured. They didn’t need to end up like Jean’s old partner.

Frustrated from the encounter but focusing on the bigger picture, Jean took off running towards the Shatterdome’s control room.

-

The sounds of the Shatterdome control room were overwhelming. Different radio frequencies were yelling at each other at the same time, some of the communications going fuzzy. Erwin was yelling instructions to multiple men at hand. Levi was leaning heavily into a microphone, holding the ear piece to a headset up so he could hear the pilots.

The moment Jean arrived, he spotted Mikasa standing there staring at the vitals being displayed on a large screen for Giant Slayer. She was shaking, he could see that. It was obvious something was happening out there, between the incoming sounds of a battle and the unintelligible shouting of Eren coming from one of the speakers.

At the same time, Jean could hear Sasha’s panicked voice muffled in Levi’s headphones just as he settled next to the Captain. “Something is wrong with Springer!” Levi turned and yelled over his shoulder in Erwin’s direction. Erwin quickly directed his attention to his drift partner.

“Put Highland Avenger on the main speaker!” Erwin ordered.

The flurry of noise changed to have Sasha’s panicked voice echoing over the main intercom. “ _Connie! Oh god, I think he’s passing out. Commander, he’s not responding-, CONNIE!”_ You could practically feel her tears as she yelled over the communication systems. Something was definitely wrong, her shouting his name as the screen for Highland Avenger flashed red.

Connie’s end of the neural drift snapped shut, his vitals showing he’d gone unconscious under the work load. All of Highland Avenger’s systems shut down immediately, going into safe lock mode. Erwin scowled at the result and turned stormed forward to take the microphone from Levi. “Braus! I need you to calm down and try and help him. Medical support will stay on a call with you to give you directions. Yankee Revolution is on its way!”

At the same time, over another quieter communication signal, Armin’s voice piped up. “ _They’re already here, sir! We’re leading the titans away from Highland Avenger.”_

“What’s the situation look like?” Levi asked through another microphone. He was obviously fishing for details. Hanji was sending out another untested jaeger to help them, he needed to know if it was pointless for them to even try.

Simultaneously, a large metal creaking sound came again as the three-man jaeger continued on its debut to the battlefield. Shortly afterward, the sound of Giant Slayer’s special roaring horn echoed loudly through the air. The jaegers were fighting much closer to the base than they were before.

“ _It’s bad, Levi. The hoard out here is the largest I’ve ever seen, and that’s coming from someone who served main coastline.”_ Auruo answered for Armin. The open communication link was live, letting everyone hear everyone on the system. There was an affirmative noise from Petra at the same time and a video feed suddenly appeared on screen underneath the vitals. It was live footage from Yankee Revolution.

All around the room, people dropped their jaws in a mixture of awe and horror. This titan hoard dwarfed just about any others that had ever been seen. “Oh my god…” Someone said somewhere at one of the computers. No one paid attention to who. Instead they just kept their eyes trained on the video.

Playing across the screen were dozens of large titans grabbing at the jaegers and trying to push past. Giant Slayer was neck deep in them, the evident fighting style of Eren Jaeger peeking through as Armin basically relinquished all control other than secondary support. That meant the situation was desperate. But at the same time, there was also the image of Highland Avenger slumped in basic standing position as some smaller titans grabbed at it. Suddenly the sounds of Sasha shouting in fear seemed a whole lot more real.

Just surrounding the camera, aka Yankee Revolution, were at least eight or so titans angrily attacking and biting at what was in reach. Erwin was the first to come back to reality. “Alright, take out as much of them as possible. We’re sending in the new jaeger.” He replied calmly, his eyes still trained on the sight of the titans. It was horrifying.

Moments later, the sounds of the metal doors opening to the jaeger storage supported the claim and the compound shook with the weight of the action. Jean and several others in the area looked towards the regular windows and watched as a giant hulk of a jaeger moved out of the base. It was massive, completely decked out in black colored steel. The jaeger was built angularly but also humanoid in shape. There was armor covering most of the body except for the necessary joints.

It was the most intimidating jaeger to come out of production since Giant Slayer was produced and it was the size of a behemoth. “Oh my god…” Jean muttered, now realizing why someone would need three people to pilot it in perfect synchronization. He, Armin, and Eren would have never managed.

Following behind the jaeger was a smaller, minor one often used for search and destroy missions. Singular titans that got out and headed in random directions were hunted down by the seeker jaeger. Usually the thing was considered an assassin but following behind the behemoth that was the three-man jaeger, no one could look at it the same.

“Gunter and Eldo are successfully drifting and heading out with Fubar, Leonhardt, and Braun.” Hanji and Marco both announced in unison as they entered the room, both winded from running to get back to the Shatterdome control area.

Jean turned around to Marco as the freckled cadet came up next to him. Hanji jogged over to one of the computers near Levi and flipped a switch, causing the vitals of the three-man jaeger to pull up. “Annie, Bertholdt, Reiner, can you hear me?” She asked, waiting for them to come up live on the communication channel.

“ _We hear you loud and clear, Doctor Zoe.”_ Reiner’s voice sprang up, causing an immediate response from the other jaeger pilots already in the field.

Eren shouted in joy from Giant Slayer, his voice only coming up through Armin’s side of the channel. For once he didn’t need to be muted because of the aggressive yelling he’d direct towards the titans he’d be fighting. Instead he was being muted for loud excitement. At the same time, his side of the channel went live. “ _I don’t know who you are, dude, but thank you!_ ” Eren practically sang into the communications.

For once, nearly everyone agreed with Eren. “Yeah!” Marco cheered, obviously keeping his mind optimistic. Around the room, several other shouts of excitement added in. They weren’t out of the fire yet but they’d gotten out of the frying pan and that was enough for celebration.

“Time to get your feet wet. You three need to focus on keeping your thoughts even. Full attention on the task in front of you.” Levi began coaching to them, walking through their first drift while also trying to make sure they could stand up to the titan hoard.

Things quieted down some, the images from the video feed becoming more reassuring. Highland Avenger was still out of commission but it was no longer in immediate danger. Gunter and Eldo had immediately worked on protecting Sasha and Connie the moment they got out there in the smaller jaeger.

Giant Slayer was successfully taking down multiple groups of titans with the assistance of Yankee Revolution and the bulk of the titans were getting slaughtered by the three-man jaeger within minutes. What had looked horrifying only minutes before, now seemed almost manageable. The stress seemed to subside as more and more titans descended down into disintegrating dust.

“Wow, they’re doing great.” Marco smiled after a few minutes had passed. The titan hoard reduced down to just about ten. The three-man jaeger was managing to take out multiple titans at once, ripping off heads and severing necks. It was a blood bath for the titans. Thank god any bloody mess left behind would evaporate.

Jean nodded his head, exhaling deeply. “Thank god.” He sighed, still remembering Sasha’s panicked shouting just about fifteen minutes before. From the looks of the head nurse, Christa, Connie still hadn’t woken up from whatever it was but the situation didn’t seem as dire. Christa was on a separate communication line with Sasha, speaking into a headset and calmly leading her through multiple procedures to check on her partner. She looked upset that someone was hurt but Connie wasn’t fatally injured or anything by the level of calmness on her features.

Marco and Jean both looked back to the video, watching just as Giant Slayer took out the last titan. At the same time, whooping and cheering could be heard through the communication channel and both Erwin and Levi leaned back exhausted from the amount of stress and work that had taken over for the past hour to an hour and a half or so.

At the front, Hanji seemed to only survive through joy alone. She was absolutely giddy her new jaeger had worked and she was ready to start doing tests at the flip of a switch if she could. Already she’d recorded so much data. It was amazing. She probably wouldn’t sleep for days.

“All jaegers please report back to the Shatterdome. Rangers Gunter and Eldo, please remain in the field and survey the surrounding area.” Levi said in a tired monotone as he relaxed into one of the open chairs next to the microphone he’d been leaning over to reach.

Jean and would have stood back and waited as well if not for Marco grabbing at his arm and pulling him towards Erwin as the Commander walked over to Christa to check in on Sasha and Connie. They arrived just as Christa responded to him about the situation. “It looks as though Mister Springer passed out from sleep deprivation and exhaustion in the midst of the fight. It may be a result of over-exposure to the jaeger technology. He was unfit to get back into the jaeger when he did, Commander Smith.” She reported, obviously showing concern.

Erwin nodded his head. “Alright, thank you. We’ll bring him back to the infirmary as soon as possible for you.” He responded, letting Christa continue go back to her business coaching Sasha.

Marco stepped up next to Erwin, eager to help. “Is there anything we can do?” He questioned hopefully. It was good that Connie wasn’t in crazy danger of health but they needed to get him appropriately taken care of sooner rather than later.

Erwin nodded again. “Yes. If you wouldn’t mind, we’ll need someone to head out with the copters to retrieve Connie and Sasha.” He smiled, trying to look like he hadn’t expended as much energy as he just had throughout the process of defending the Shatterdome.

“Will do, no need to worry.” Marco tried to say reassuringly, giving Erwin an affirming look before dragging Jean in the direction of the helicopter pad. Multiple helicarriers would be needed to bring Highland Avenger back to the Shatterdome but a smaller one would be used to retrieve the pilots.

Jean sighed as they walked, feeling more emotionally expended than he had in a long while. Marco noticed it just as they reached the stairs to go to the roof. He reached out to pat his roommate on the shoulder, giving him a wide grin. “We made it, didn’t we?” He asked, trying to get Jean to look forward to the rest of the day.

Jean gave him a blank look before smiling half-way. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, hello my dear readers. I want to remind you that I AM TAKING SUGGESTIONS FOR JAEGER NAMES. I need a name for the three-man jaeger as well as the smaller jaeger that was mentioned. 
> 
> As for Connie fans, (hello my babies come to me I need more people to talk about Connie with), he's okay! :D He just passed out from over exposure to jaeger tech. Kinda like how you get radiation poisoning from some jaegers in the movie? Here he just got exhausted because of the neural load and the sleepless night he just had. ALSO, if you guys want I'm also writing a fic from Connie's POV that is hilariously hilarious so check that out. It's the next fic to get an update and chapters are LONG. 
> 
> Enough self promoting, you guys have fun and comment if you like!


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